Undisclosed Files:: Marilyn A Fitzgerald
by mell0437
Summary: Sister story to Undisclosed Files: Doppelgangers by Lady-Blood-Rose. It is necessary to read doppelgangers first, or you will not be able to understand the story, as this story is made up of small side stories for Mary, one of the OC's from doppelgangers. Better view of Mary's character, as well as random fun side stories.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Side stories focusing around Mary. This chapter goes with the Prologue and Chapter 1 of Doppelgangers, which needs to be read** first**, or you will be very confused as to what is going on. If you have read the other story, hopefully these side stories will give a better idea of who Mary is, and give you some more to read while waiting for more of that story. Let me know what you think, I'm new to writing.

Disclaimer: FF7 is 100% owned by Square Enix

**(Prologue)**

Mary sat on her bed, trying to convince herself to get up. It was the weekend, and the only time she ever got to actually sleep in. She was a morning person naturally, but everyone else liked to stay up late, and during the week she got less sleep than she needed, so she always slept in when she could. She had been awake for a few hours; just lying in her bed, trying to rest up for the hectic day she knew was ahead of her.

Her two best friends had convinced her to dress up as some video game character for Halloween. Mary wasn't much into games, but she didn't have any better costume ideas, so she went with it. Unfortunately, her character was a male; a very large, muscular male. Mary was not very excited; it would be just another day of getting teased for her natural masculinity. She was sure that she could pull off the character well, but wasn't so sure that she wanted to.

The costumes were almost ready; they had been working on them for a couple of weeks. Mary wasn't good at sewing, but she had done a large portion of the cutting of fabrics, and constructing the harnesses for herself and her smaller friend, who had a very similar costume. Now they just had to make sure that the costumes all fit, and dye their hair, and they would all set.

Mary was not too sure about dying her hair. She had done it many times before, but typically only a few shades different than her natural blonde hair. This time, she would have to dye it black. She wasn't sure that she would be able to pull it off. –_At least it's not that awful red-_ she thought to herself. She had decided to go with a one night dye, since she was not very comfortable with it. Also, she had just recently gotten all of the dye out of her hair, and had finally gotten her natural color back. –_Oh well- _she thought –_I can always just cut it off again if it doesn't go well-_. Mary was never one to be too attached to her hair, as she would cut it really short without a moment's hesitation. Her hair had just gotten back to a normal length, after having a pixie cut for the summer.

Just when she was about to get up, she heard talking in the kitchen. It sounded like everyone was up, and having some argument about coffee. It seemed like that never ended, they were always arguing about the strength of the coffee. Mary didn't understand it; being a morning person she never needed coffee. She didn't like coffee either, and she avoided it like it was something evil. Though, she would often make it in the morning, before heading to her classes. She heard them mention waking her up, and start laughing at the memory of Alanna hiding in her closet at night. Mary shook her head. It annoyed the hell out of her that Alanna liked to do that. She always ended up almost hitting her friend in response, and so she felt bad.

Since everyone else was up, Mary decided she should get out of bed as well. She got up, changed her clothes, and brushed through her very messy hair. She made her way out to the kitchen, and grabbed some juice before sitting down at the table.

"Well good morning, sleeping beauty." Alanna said, turning from her pancakes. "We were just talking about you."

"Yeah, I heard. I've been up for a while now, you should know that." She replied. "When can we have the pancakes?" She asked.

"You can start now, just don't eat them all." Alanna replied. Mary stuck out her tongue in response, and got up to get herself a plate. When she went to sit down, she felt something latch onto her.

"Good morning, puppy. I was wondering where you were." She said, to the short blonde who was hugging her tightly.

"I was getting dressed. How are you today?" Piper replied, while releasing Mary from her hug. She then proceeded to go around the room, hugging each person, except for Morgan.

"I'm okay, got as much sleep as I could. I'm sure we are going to need it to deal with them tonight." She said, pointing to Ryu and Alanna. They both looked at her and stuck out their tongues.

"Hey, you agreed to it." Ryu pointed out. "You all agreed to it, so no complaining."

"And we are all just sooo excited." Morgan chimed in. Ryu elbowed him in the gut in response.

"You barely have to do anything, so shush. It's not too hard to put on a suit and some fake earrings."

"Yeah, at least you don't have to gender-bend." Mary said, and Piper nodded her head in agreement.

"Not that it's hard for you. You act like a guy most of the time anyway." Matti said. Mary just glared at him from across the table. She wasn't too mad though, she had completely expected that from one of them, she just wasn't sure who it would be that time. And with that, the argument ended, and they finished their  
pancakes. Once the kitchen was cleaned up, they all went their separate ways to start preparing for the day.

Mary sat on her bed, pulling on her combat boots that she had bought. Right after she had finished tying the second boot, her back spasmed violently and she made a squeaky sound. "Ouch" she said. The spasms were nothing new, but they had begun to get more intense over the past few months. She had really been hoping that they would not be a problem that day, and so she had taken extra blood thinners the night before and that morning. It didn't appear to make much of a difference, as Mary got another spasm, and squeaked again.

"You okay in there?" Ryu asked.

"Yeah, just spasms as usual." Mary replied. She got up, and grabbed the belts they had made, and started putting them on.

"Well that sucks. Come in here, we need to do your hair." Ryu said, as she opened the door and pointed to the bathroom. Mary got up and followed, she still wasn't sure how she was going to look with black hair.

Once they were all done with their hair, having dyed and styled it, they made their way downstairs to finish putting on their costumes. As they turned the corner to the living room, Mary started giggling. Matti, who usually had short blonde hair, now had black hair. He had refused to wear the long black wig that they got him. He also had a small dot on his forehead, and was wearing a suit, that was just a little too small for him. He looked miserable, and Mary found it hilarious.

"Shut up." Matti said, as he sat down on the couch. When he looked at the group that came downstairs, he himself couldn't help but giggle. "If you weren't clearly a girl before, you are now." He said. "You really can't pull of sideburns or that thing on your chin." He said. The man-makeup they had used on Mary was quite hilarious.

"But at least the hair looks good. It looks more natural than the blonde, actually." Morgan said from the corner of the living room, where he was standing with his hands crossed in front of him.

"Whoa, Morgan. I didn't think you could pull it off, but you actually look a lot like him." Mary said. She didn't know much about the games, but she had seen pictures of all of the characters, and Morgan definitely pulled off his character, even if he was way too thin. "And nice earrings." She added. He just scowled at her, and then put his sunglasses back on his face. Ryu went over and slug her arm over his shoulders the best that she could.

"Hey, I like the earrings, yo." She said. She looked very much the sloppy Turk that she was supposed to be. Her hair had come out bright red, which was a very odd look for her, but it worked. "You don't look so comfortable there, bossman." She said.

"Yeah, suit is a bit small." He replied. Piper walked over to him and sat on his lap. "Just a bit?" Alanna said, from her spot on the couch. She was sitting next to Matti, in her red coat, with her long black boots, and a small book, which she had made a LOVELESS cover for. She was thoroughly enjoying herself, and she couldn't wait to go outside and use the boffering swords they had made.

"You look silly with black hair." Piper said. She had been very much against the wig, and that was one of the reasons he hadn't worn it. She wasn't very happy about the hair dye either. Matti looked at her, with his eyebrows raised, and then decided to drop it, while wrapping his arms around her. He wasn't too enthused about the costume, but he could deal with it for the night.

Across the room, Mary had another spasm, one that nearly knocked her off of her feet. Luckily, she was near the railing of the stairs, and was able to hold herself up. When she looked up, everyone was staring at her. She just shook her head, and they all dropped it. It happened so frequently, they were used to it. They all let it slide, and turned to Alanna. They had decided to watch her play one of the games, to help them get into the mood of their characters. Alanna got up, and turned on the TV.

Mary stayed where she was, even though she couldn't see the TV. She usually wore glasses, but with the costume, she had to take them off. It wouldn't matter where she was, she wouldn't be able to see, so she stayed in place. Within a minute, she felt another strong spasm coming on. She waited, knowing there was nothing she could do about it. Sure enough, a really strong one came. It was enough to knock her off of her feet, and then into unconsciousness.

When Mary was able to open her eyes, she could see her friends were also on the ground. "Oh, very funny, I hate you guys." She said, thinking that they were teasing her. She rolled over, as a wave of nausea and a migraine come on, and she lost consciousness again.

(Chapter 1)

Mary woke with a start, as Alanna kicked her in the stomach. After a minute of chasing her down, and some swearing, Ryu grabbed her pant leg and told her to calm down. With that, she did, and turned to look at the people on the other side of the room. Even without her glasses, and being pretty blind, she could tell that they were in trouble. The people standing in front of her looked very similar to the people they were dressed as. Only they were much larger, and scarier. She looked over to Angeal, the man whom she was dressed as. He was even larger than she imagined, and his arms were huge.

She went and sat on the back of Ryu's chair, still trying to see get a good view of everyone in the room. After a few minutes, her eyes were starting to hurt from the strain, and she then realized that she didn't have her glasses on. She started searching her pockets, not remembering where she had put them.

"Looking for something?" Tseng said to her.

"Yeah, um, my glasses. I can't really see without them. Have you seen them, they are purple and… oh, here they are." She said, as she found the pocket they were in. She was lucky that they weren't broken. She could see well enough to walk around without them, but she would get a headache after just a short amount of time.

The small group continued to sit around Ryu, while the other group discussed what to do with them. The SOLDIERS and Turks then came over, and introduced themselves. Afterwards, they were offered clothes and a shower. Mary blushed as Angeal handed her a shirt and a pair of shorts, and pointed her to the direction of his bathroom. Once she had her glasses back, she had gotten a chance to get a good look at him. She hadn't been too excited when Ryu and Alanna first asked her to dress up as him, but after looking at some pictures, and watching a video from the game, she wasn't too opposed. She did like the way he looked, and he was very muscular. He was definitely one of her types.

Mary jumped in the shower, just long enough to get clean, and got out. When she looked in the mirror, she was glad to see that the hair dye had come out, as well as the makeup on her face. She looked like herself again, and more like a girl. She had been very embarrassed when she realized that she had man makeup on once she woke up. She dried off, and put on the clothes that Angeal had given her. She was glad that they were loose; she much preferred loose clothing to tight clothing. She was larger than she would like to be. Even when she was highly athletic and active, she was still very large.

When she came out, she noticed that she was the first one back; not to her surprise. She was well aware of how long other people took to shower and change. It had taken a little while to get used to living with her friends, they had to figure out a bathroom schedule, and it was sometimes difficult. It was especially difficult between her and Ryu, when they had lived on campus with just Alanna. They both woke at the same time, and would fight over the shower. Ryu would take at least twice as long, if not more.

Mary stopped when she saw the confused look on the faces of the SOLDIERS and Turks. "Hair dye." She said, assuming that most of the confusion was her blonde hair. She continued into the room and sat down on the floor, leaning on the chair. Shortly after she sat down, the others started making their way into the room. Once everyone had returned, and they had explained why they looked so different, they all went to the kitchen to get some food. Afterwards, they were given blankets and pillows, and left alone for the night.

Thankfully, Mary felt herself falling asleep immediately. She always had a knack for sleeping anywhere. She had grown accustomed to moving that new places weren't strange for her, and she had also learned to sleep in chairs or on moving buses, or even on bean bag chairs. It didn't matter to her, if she was tired, she went to sleep. At some point in the night, she had woken up to find Ryu and Alanna missing, but they had all found them outside the door, and then they all went back to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: A couple of side stories from Chapters 2 and 3 of Doppelgangers. Again, it is really necessary to read the other story first. Stories are focused around Mary, but the others are there too. Some are a little short, while some are a little longer. The chapters will start to get longer as the story progresses. Again, still new to writing, but let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: FF7 is 100% owned by Square Enix

* * *

(Chapter 2)

Mary was the first to wake up the next morning. She got up and went to the bathroom, and then returned to her bed. She sat down, but didn't feel very tired, and so she got back up and folded her bedding. She placed it on the couch, and sat down, pulling her knees in. She didn't know what they were going to do. This was a very strange ordeal, and they didn't really have any control over what was happening. After a few minutes, Mary noticed some bottles of water and some fruit that had been placed on a table in the corner. She went over, and guzzled a bottle, and then picked up what looked like an apple. She looked at it and smelled it, before deciding that it was safe, and ate it. She nibbled on it until there was nothing else, and then threw away the core. She then went into the bathroom to refill her water bottle, and then walked around the room.

Mary kept wandering the room for a few minutes. She felt uncomfortable with leaving the room, she didn't want to run into someone or raise suspicions. So, she continued to pace, until she say a line of sunlight hit the floor. She walked over to the window, and saw that the sun was starting to rise. She examined the window sill, and determined it was wide enough to sit on, and then lifted herself onto it. She sat there, watching the sunrise, for how long, she didn't know. She had enjoyed watching it; it was different than at home. The pollution in Midgar blocked a lot of it, but it did create an interesting color. It fascinated Mary somewhat. She was always interested in new things, and could see the beauty in almost anything, especially if it was new to her.

Mary heard the door open, and Cissnei walked in. "Tseng would like to talk to everyone, individually. You should probably wake your friends up." She said.

"Why do I have to wake them up?" Mary whined. "They don't like me in the morning." She continued. It was true, they typically did not enjoy her in the morning, her joyful attitude minutes after waking would set them on edge.

"It would be better for someone they know to wake them. They may freak out if a Turk wakes them up." Cissnei replied.

"Okay, fine. But they will need coffee." Mary said.

"Will do. I'll be right back." Cissnei said, and she left the room.

Mary decided to wake up Ryu first, though she was typically a bit grumpy, she wouldn't bite off her head. "Ryu, wake up. It's morning. Tseng wants to talk to us. Coffee is on its way. Could you wake Morgan up?" Mary said, lightly shaking her.

"Huh. Yeah, okay. You get 'Lanna and Piper." She replied.

"Okay. We will wait to wake Matti until the coffee gets here." Mary said, and Ryu shook her head in agreement.

* * *

(Chapter 2)

Later that day, at around lunchtime, the group was cautious about the food in the kitchen. "Why are you not eating?" Zack asked them.

"Your foods here are a bit different than ours, we aren't really sure what everything tastes like, and our stomachs are still uneasy." Piper replied.

"Oh. Well, I'll tell you what everything is." Zack said, with an excited tone. He then proceeded to point out and explain everything in the kitchen.

"Yes, Zack, we know what an apple is." Alanna said, as Zack was explaining fruits.

"Yes, we know what a cookie is, we have plenty of those." This continued for a bit, with them regretting having ever said anything. After about ten minutes, Mary decided that enough was enough.

"Hey puppy, want to play?" She asked, throwing an apple in the air and catching it. Zack looked at her with a slightly confused face, and tilted his head. Mary then threw the apple to Matti, who in return threw it to Morgan, and then to Piper. Zack caught on, and started chasing the apple, as if it was a ball. They began a game of monkey in the middle, and worked their way out of the kitchen and into the living room. Once there, Zack was able to catch the apple, and the game stopped, and Zack bit into the apple as he sat in front of the couch.

Angeal came up behind Mary. "You seem to be really good at dealing with his antics." He said.

"I'm used to it. I worked as a kennel assistant back home. Spent all day taking care of dogs. It is helpful that he is so much like a puppy. "She replied. Angeal went to sit on the couch, behind Zack. Mary followed, and sat down a few feet from them. Getting an idea, she called Zack over. "Here puppy." She said, and he gave her a confused look. "Just come here, trust me." She told him.

Zack scootched over so that he was sitting in front of Mary, as her hands started scratching his head. He instantly melted into the couch, and really seemed to be enjoying it. "Good puppy." She said. "Your hair is really soft."

"Uh huh." Zack mumbled in response.

"I wonder if Cloud's hair is soft too." Mary said, turning to face Cloud, who was sitting in a chair across the room.

"NO." Cloud said, covering his head with his hands, and slinking down in his seat. He was turning a nice pink color. Mary decided to leave him alone, and continued petting Zack's hair. After a few minutes, Piper crawled over, making little whining noises and giving puppy dog eyes.

"Fine. Sit down, I'll pet you too." She said. Angeal looked over, an eyebrow raised, as Mary sat petting the two so called puppies. Matti was sitting next to her, not seeming to care that Mary was petting his girlfriend. Ryu and Alanna were on his other side, and Alanna was working her way closer to Ryu. Within minutes, Ryu was petting her hair as well.

Genesis walked out of the kitchen, a Banora white in his hand. He looked at the scene on the couch. "You are all very strange." He said, as he took an empty chair next to Cloud's.

"You'll see someday. It feels nice to have someone play with your hair." Ryu said.

"There will be no one playing with my hair. Ever." Genesis said.

"We'll see about that." Alanna said quietly, Ryu still playing with her hair.

"I bet it's nice and soft. Though, not as soft as Cloud's." Mary said, and Cloud got red again, and covered his head. "Too bad you won't let me see for myself. No, you know what would be even better, Sephiroth's hair. I bet it's all silky."

"You really do have an odd obsession with hair." Morgan said. He was sitting on the back of the couch, and had been so quiet they had forgotten he was there. Mary just stuck her tongue out at him as a response.

"Well, I have to do something with my hands. It's weird not having my crochet hooks and yarn." She said. She was an avid crocheter, as were the other girls. They had yet to have an opportunity to find a craft store. She wasn't even sure if they had those in this world. She was really hoping though, she had a hard time sitting still with nothing to do.

"I'm sure we will find something to keep you occupied." Alanna said.

Angeal sat with a very confused look on his face, and Genesis snorted from across the room. Mary was suddenly very aware that they were in the room. She had forgotten, and talked a little more than she was comfortable with. She blushed and looked down, while continuing to pet the two puppies sitting in front of her on the floor.

* * *

The second night there, the group found it much harder to fall asleep. The first night, they had been exhausted, and were still feeling the aftermath of whatever had brought them to Midgar. The reality of what was happening was setting in, and so they decided to talk about it.

"What are we going to do?" Piper asked, a sad tone to her voice. It seemed like she was home sick already, which didn't surprise any of them. She was the closest to her family, and it was hardest for her to be stuck in this world.

"I don't know. Whatever we have to I guess. It sorta depends on what they decide to do with us, yo." Ryu replied. A sad vibe flowed through the room. It was somewhat depressing, realizing that they had been taken from their world, and were now completely in the hands of other people.

Not being able to handle the atmosphere, Mary decided to change the subject. "Can you believe how big they are?" She asked.

"Yeah, they are huge. Did you see how tall Sephiroth was?" Alanna said. "And Masamune, that thing is much scarier in person."

"He is pretty tall. And his hair is gorgeous. They are all kinda gorgeous. It's not fair." Mary said. "Genesis is particularly pretty, don't you think?" Mary said, winking at Alanna.

"Yes, but I suggest you don't tell him that." Alanna replied. "Did you see how big Angeal is. His arms are bigger than my head."

"His arms, did you see his butt!" Mary exclaimed. Matti and Morgan both face-palmed at that.

"Could we not talk about this." Matti asked.

"Fine. We should probably get to bed soon." Mary said. Without wanting to continue the conversation, the group all rolled over in their beds, and tried to sleep.

* * *

(Between Chapter 2 + Chapter 3)

Mary lay in bed, actually having a hard time falling asleep. The group had gone out shopping, to get clothes, and had ended up getting attacked. They were all fine, but their small group had killed their attackers, and it was a bit traumatizing. Mary couldn't even remember why she did it; she guessed it was just her reflexes. At the time, she had found the blood and bits of brain to be amusing, but now it was keeping her awake. She had never really killed anything before, at least not in such a gruesome way.

As she lay there, she cuddled her new plushy. It helped, and she was glad that she had it. Angeal had bought it for her; it was a plushy of him, after all. She smiled, remembering how he looked when he gave it to her. She knew she was being silly, they had only just met, but she liked him. She would probably regret it, developing a crush on him; she usually did. She would probably set her sights too high, and get rejected, as always. But that never seemed to stop her feelings before, so she was prepared for it to happen again.

She tried to push the thoughts of the day out of her head, as she squeezed the plushy and tried to fall asleep. After an hour, she decided it was useless, and got up to stretch. She did a few arm and leg stretches, and then some ones for her back, which led to some lovely cracking. She loved cracking her back, it always felt good, and usually helped her fall asleep. She got back up into bed, and tried to clear her mind. She eventually drifted off into sleep, still clinging to her new plushy.

* * *

(Chapter 2-Chapter 3)

The next morning, Mary was more than excited. Tseng had decided that they were going to be Turks, and they were going to be starting cadet training soon. She wasn't sure how she felt about being a Turk, but she couldn't wait to start training. She had always been athletic, and enjoyed training and working out. However, she found it very hard to keep herself motivated when there was so much else going on. In college, she had found it difficult to balance working out and keeping up with her classes.

But now, they were going to be training. And they would be training with the people they had dressed as. She was a little worried. Someone as muscular as Angeal probably liked to work-out a lot, and most likely did a lot of bodyweight training. That was always her least favorite. Mary hated things like push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups. However, she loved running, hiking, skiing, and other various activities. She wasn't very inclined to lift weights, but she would do it, and preferred it to bodyweight training.

She preferred running above all else. She had been quite the runner, until she developed stress fractures in her ankle and both of her feet. Over the past few months, she had only been able to run a few times, and was in pain afterwards each time.

But today, they would all get to go running for a few miles, to get them prepared for cadet training. Mary, Alanna, and Ryu all looked like they were a little too heavy to jump straight into cadet training, while the other three looked like they would be okay, but could use a run or two beforehand. However, they didn't know that Mary loved to run, and was in much better shape than she looked. She was so excited that she was bouncing, and it was getting on everyone else's nerves.

"Would you stop it." Alanna said. She was definitely not excited for this, and Mary's bouncing was getting on her nerves.

"Sorry. But it's been awhile, and you know how much I love to run." She replied.

Before Alanna could respond, Cloud knocked on the door. "Everyone ready?" he asked.

"Ready as we'll ever be." Ryu replied. With that they all followed Cloud out of the apartment, and down to the track. Being the newest first, he had been the one who was assigned to help them through their first run.

When they got to the track, Cloud turned and addressed them all. "We will be doing an easy two mile run, to get everyone warmed up." He said. "The important thing is to pace yourself. You want to be running the entire time, no breaks, so if you are tired, slow down." He continued. "I will be running with you, to help encourage you if you are having a hard time." He looked over to the three larger girls. Alanna and Ryu looked to the ground, and Mary smirked. She loved when people underestimated her. "Alright, let's go." He said, turning around to start running.

Right off the bat, Matti took off, his long legs carrying him well. Mary was right behind him, trying to keep up. "I said pace yourselves!" Cloud shouted after them.

"Don't worry, they are pacing themselves." Alanna said.

Cloud gave her a confused look, and then continued running. For the first couple of minutes, Matti ran in the lead, with Mary desperately trying to catch him. Piper and Morgan were running at a more comfortable pace somewhere between them and the other two. Alanna and Ryu were in the back, running alongside Cloud. Neither one were enjoying the run, they were both having a hard time breathing. After the first two miles, Matti began to slow down, and Mary was able to catch him.

"Wanna go for three, or maybe four?" She asked him.

"Sure, I can keep going." He replied, as they continued running. By the time Piper and Morgan hit their two miles, Matti and Mary had hit three and a half, and Matti dropped back to run a lap or two with Piper. Morgan decided he had enough, and since he had done what was expected, he stopped. At four miles for Matti, he and Piper stopped. Mary was halfway through her fifth mile, as she ran past them.

"What's the matter Matti? Are you tired?" She asked, as she passed them.

"I really hate her sometimes." He growled. He didn't like being beaten by a girl.

"I agree." Alanna said, as she and Ryu finally finished their two miles. Cloud stopped with them, barely having felt anything with the slow pace they had set. He looked up, and saw that Mary was still running, and it appeared as she was going faster than when they started.

Seeing the confused look on his face, Ryu explained. "She was distance runner. They are pretty good at out pacing and then picking up speed."

"Oh. I didn't realize she could run." Cloud responded. As Mary rounded the corner, Cloud called to her. "Mary, we are done. Time to stop."

"One more lap, I'm almost done with five miles. Still have to do a sprint." She yelled, as she passed them. She continued running the last lap, picking up speed at the end. When she was finally done, she sat down and took a few deep breaths. "Phew. Haven't felt that good in a while." She said.

"You are insane." Morgan said.

"I think you ran a bit hard, you are probably going to be feeling that later." Alanna added.

"Oh well. It felt good. If it hurts I'll deal with it then." Mary replied.

It was now the afternoon and Mary was regretting the run earlier that morning. Sure enough, as Alanna said, her ankle hurt. It was red and swollen. She hadn't felt the pain while she was running, but she hardly ever did. And to make it worse, they were supposed to go running again, this time with their 'mentors'. Mary did not want to look weak in front of Angeal, so she was upset that she had hurt herself.

When the SOLDIERS and Turks, or 'mentors' as they were calling them, came into the room, they saw them all sitting on the floor. Mary had here ankle propped up on a pillow, and was icing it. The others were leaning against the couch, or sprawled on the floor. They weren't very excited about running again.

"What happened, Mary?" Angeal asked.

"I ran a little too hard, and now my ankle is swollen. It's no big deal." She replied.

"A little too hard? You ran five miles, we were only supposed to do two." Alanna said. Angeal looked over at Cloud, who nodded an affirmation. Angeal shook his head, and walked over to Mary, and healed her ankle.

"You didn't have to do that, I said it was fine." She said quietly, looking down at the floor.

"If you are going to run more, it needed to be healed." He answered. "Come on. And this time, we are taking it easy."

The group got up, and followed their mentors to the elevator to head down to the track. Once they were all in, the elevator starting going down.

"Ugh. I really hate this thing." Mary said, as she clutched Angeal's arm. Angeal gave her a funny look. "Sorry. I really don't like elevators." Mary said shyly.

"It's okay." He said. "Cloud didn't like it at first either."

"Hey!" Cloud responded.

"You know it's true." Genesis added.

When the elevator door opened, Cloud was the first out. It appeared he still wasn't much of a fan of the elevator. They all made their way out, and walked onto the track. One by one, the pairings set off running. They were starting with two miles again.

Tseng and Matti took off, with Angeal and Mary following. Angeal had to gently grab Mary's arm, and pull her back. "Take it easy." He said.

"But… Fine." She replied. Behind them, Zack was running circles around Cloud and Piper. "You keep doing that, you will make her dizzy, and she will slap you." Mary yelled to Zack.

"Sorry Piper puppy. Can't really help it." Zack said to his doppelganger.

"It's okay. But maybe try not doing it. It's hard enough to keep up with you; your legs are much longer than mine." She pointed out.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." Zack said, falling back to run behind Piper and Cloud.

Behind them, Morgan and Rude were running silently side by side. They seemed to have a similar stride, and both seemed comfortable with the pace. Not far behind them, the two redheads were running next to each other. It appeared as though Reno was not going to take it easy on Ryu. She was out of breath, but he was refusing to slow down.

"Hey. Slow down. Your legs are longer than mine!" Ryu said in between breaths.

"Nope. If you are going to be me, you need to be fast, yo." Reno replied. Ryu groaned in response, but didn't try saying anything else. She just focused on trying to keep up with him.

Taking up the rear, Alanna was running next to Genesis, he seemed extremely unpleased to be there. Alanna didn't seem all too pleased about it either. Surprisingly, Genesis had kept his mouth shut, and wasn't saying anything, but his attitude was easy to detect. He was not really a fan of running, and the slow pace was driving him nuts. However, he didn't say anything, he just kept running.

Mary was getting frustrated. Every time Tseng and Matti passed them, she would try to speed up, but Angeal would pull her back. She had tried multiple times to pick up the pace, but he refused, and she was bored. She liked to run, but this didn't even count as running, it was jogging. With his long legs, she didn't even know how he could manage to run so slowly. After their two miles, Angeal had them stop.

"Seriously, we are stopping. That wasn't even a warm up." She said.

"Fine, you want more, let's go. I'm not sure how your ankle is, so instead how about some push-ups and sit-ups?" Angeal replied. Mary was not pleased, but at least it was something. She followed Angeal down the hall to one of the training rooms, where they started doing their workout. Luckily, the others joined her soon, and they all got to feel her pain. Once they were done, they all went back upstairs. Once they were clear of the 'mentors' they all turned to Mary.

"You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?" Alanna said.

"Hey, nothing wrong with a workout. We'll need to do that and more soon." Piper said in Mary's defense.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm going to go take a long shower. I feel gross, yo." Ryu said, as she made her way to the bathroom.

* * *

(Chapter 3)

A few weeks later, they had all finished with cadet training. They were caught up and in shape. Alanna, Mary, and Piper had just been given their first doses of mako. The others got some as well, but it wasn't as strong. No one had reacted too badly, but they were all still at relatively low levels of mako. They expected it would get worse each time.

Mary woke up, early as usual. She was excited. She had been able to run, but her ankle still swelled each time, and had to be healed. She had convinced Angeal to let her run her pace though, since it swelled no matter what she did. But she had just gotten her first mako bath, and they told her that with mako her stress fractures would go away. Now she would be able to run as much as she wanted.

She was extremely excited, and had gotten up early to go for a run on her own. She had her own key card now, which gave her access to the gym and the track, and she had gotten a nice pair of running shoes. She hated the boots, but could deal with them when she had to. She didn't see any need to wear them if she was running on her own however, so she and Ryu had gone shopping for better shoes. They were both awfully found of minimalists that were mostly foot coverings. They were much more comfortable for them.

When Mary entered the track, she went to the sound system and plugged in her music player. They had spent the first week trying to find ways to amuse themselves, and music was a large part of that. They had all found music that was to their liking, and similar to the music they had back home. They had also gotten portable music players, and had figured out a way to plug it into the sound system of the track. Mary wasn't being trained as a Turk, but she was pretty good with technology, as it was part of her job when she was in college.

Once the music began, Mary started running. It felt amazing. After a few miles, she stopped to see what time it was. Barely any time had passed; she must have been running much faster than usual. And she felt great, nothing seemed to hurt. Mary was very happy that she had gotten the mako bath, and couldn't wait to get more. She ran a few more miles, before deciding to head back to the apartment. When she arrived, she found that she was still the only one up. She grabbed an apple, and skipped back to her room, where she changed and showered for the rest of her day.

For the next week, Mary continued to get up early and go running. She had even begun her old habit of making coffee before she left. She couldn't figure out who was awake, but the pot was almost gone everyday when she got back. She let it go and would start another pot before heading to her room to get ready for the day.

One morning, Angeal went to look for Mary while she was out for a run. He knocked on her door, and got no reply. Ryu was in the kitchen, getting her first cup of coffee.

"Have you seen Mary?" He asked.

"If she isn't in her room, she is probably out running on the track." She replied.

"On the track? But we don't start training for another hour." He said, in a questioning manner.

"She likes to run in the morning, she gets up way before anyone else. She's been doing it for at least a week. Who do you think makes the coffee?" She said.

"But I thought she doesn't like coffee?"

"She doesn't, but she is nice and makes it for those of us who need it in the morning. Though, the first pot only goes so far." Ryu said, before leaving the kitchen and heading to her room. Angeal grabbed another cup of coffee and an apple. He would have to wait until Mary came back from her run to talk to her.

When Mary returned, she found Angeal in the kitchen. _–That's odd_-She thought –_He usually isn't up this early_-. She then checked her watch, and noticed it was actually a bit later than she thought. She had been running more and more each day, and was enjoying it so much she didn't think to check the time. When Angeal saw her, he decided to wait and see what she would say.

"Sorry I'm late. Guess I got caught up in my run." She said.

"It's okay. I didn't know you had been running in the mornings. Would you like a partner next time?" He offered.

"You would be willing to wake up two hours early to go run with me?" She replied, very much surprised. She didn't think anyone would want to go running with her. None of her friends would, so she had learned to run on her own. She had taken Matti once, but he wouldn't go again. It wasn't that she was faster; she just preferred to run much longer than anyone else. Also, when she said she would go for a short run, it was usually much less short than what anyone else would expect.

"Of course. Why not. Now, go change, and get ready for our training session. I'll be in my office when you are ready." Angeal said, as he got up and left the apartment.

The next morning, Mary was nervous as she laced her shoes. She wasn't sure why, she trained with Angeal almost every day. She got up, and left her room, and headed to the kitchen to grab something to eat. Angeal was there, and he definitely did not look like he was ready to go for a run.

"Good Morning." Mary said cheerfully.

"Morning." He said in reply.

"Not a morning person I see…" Mary muttered.

"No, not really." Angeal replied. Mary blushed, she hadn't realized that he could hear her.

"Ready to go?" She asked, after setting up the coffee and eating her usual breakfast. Angeal just nodded his head, and got up. They walked together out of the apartment, and into the elevator. As the elevator started, Mary clutched Angeal's arm, as she usually did. He didn't even respond, as it happened almost every time they were in the elevator together. When the elevator stopped, they got out.

Once they started running, Angeal noticed that Mary had become considerably faster, and found the pace much better for him than the last time they had run together. It also helped that he was wearing his heavy boots, while she was wearing what appeared to be light running shoes. Angeal rather enjoyed the run; he thought it a good pace.

But after an hour, Angeal was starting to tire. It was early morning, and he was not prepared to run for this long. "Are we almost done?" Angeal asked.

"That's up to you. I usually go for another hour. But if you are tired, we can stop." Mary replied.

"I'm fine. I was just wondering." He said, even though he was tired. They continued running for another half hour, before he started to visibly tire. Mary noticed this, and slowed the pace, before turning to Angeal.

"Let's stop. That was a little faster than I am used to, so I'm a little tired." She lied. She felt fine, but she didn't want to tire him out too much, and didn't want to hurt his pride. "I'm going to head back up now and get ready for training." She said, as she walked back to the elevator. She wasn't sure if Angeal was going back to the apartment or not, since he was in his uniform.

"I'll come with you. I will need to change my uniform." He said simply, as he followed her to the elevator.

"Will you be joining me tomorrow, sir?" Mary asked, as the elevator started upwards.

"No. I have an early meeting tomorrow, and I think I have a mission after that." He said. Mary smiled to herself. She was pretty sure he didn't have a meeting. She had tired him out, and she was damn proud of herself for it.

* * *

(Chapter 3)

Matti and Piper entered the apartment, after spending the afternoon exploring some of the stores in Midgar. Matti seemed rather excited about something, and the group of doppelgangers could tell.

"What are you so excited about, Matti?" Ryu asked. Matti smiled and opened the bag he was carrying.

"I found a little shop that sells herbs and spices. I got this huge thing of crushed red peppers. I didn't know they would have that here, but they do." He replied, still sporting his large smile.

"You and your spices." Mary said, while shaking her head. Matti nodded his head and made his way to the kitchen, to find a place for his new find.

Later that night, everyone was at the table, getting ready to enjoy the meal that Angeal had just made. After everyone had taken their first plate of food, Matti seemed to remember something. He got up and went over to the cupboard he had claimed, and grabbed his new container of spices. He sat back down, and started to coat the food with the crushed red peppers.

"Is the food not good enough for you?" Angeal asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He was always proud of the food he made, and no one had ever needed to add anything to his meals.

"No, its fine." Matti replied.

"Don't take offense Angeal, he puts it on everything." Mary said.

"And we mean EVERYTHING." Ryu added. "Didn't matter what we made at the house before we came here, he always had to add his precious crushed red pepper." The group giggled at that. That had gotten used to it. Every time they had a group dinner, he would run downstairs, and they could all predict what he would return with.

"Seriously, it has nothing to do with your food. My taste buds are just silly, and need a little more spice." Matti said, as he shoveled food into his mouth.

* * *

(Chapter 3)

Mary stood nervously, as Angeal prepared the VR room. Angeal was putting Mary through her first VR session, to see how she was doing with her training, and to get her used to VR technology. Mary took a few deep breaths, and tried to stop her left leg from shaking; it was a nervous tick that usually only showed when she would have to perform or give a presentation. When Angeal was finished, he grabbed a helmet and walked towards Mary.

"Now, this is a fight simulation. It is going to give you as many opponents as you need. I have set the simulation to continue until you are taken down. I want to see how you fight, and how you react to pressure." Mary nodded, though she was worried about being taken down. "The important thing to remember is that it is all a simulation. There is no risk of you actually getting hurt. When you are finally taken down, a slight paralyze material will take effect, but it will only last a minute, you will be perfectly fine after that." He explained. "Are you ready?" He asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess. Sir." Mary replied, taking the helmet from Angeal and putting it on. "Whoa." Mary said, as the simulation began. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. It was similar to a 3D and imax movie in her world, but much better.

She looked around, as spotted her first opponent, a third class SOLDIER just like her. Mary took another deep breath, and went for the attack. She took a step back and looked down at her sword after feeling the vibration of a hit through it. She wasn't quite sure what to expect, and the real feeling threw her off. She was quickly snapped out of her thoughts when the third class lunged at her, and she barely dodged his sword. She retaliated with a few hard swings, and he was defeated.

"Well that wasn't so bad." She said to no one in particular. The simulation continued, and sent another third class for her to fight. She confidently took him down with a few blows. She took down the next few thirds that were sent her way without much of a struggle. Then the simulation started sending 2nd class SOLDIERs, and Mary became nervous again. The first opponent took twice as long as the others, and Mary could tell that her form was starting to disappear, and she was replacing it with her brute strength. Mary was starting to become tired when the simulation became even more difficult.

"Oh crap." Mary muttered, as she turned to see three 2nd classes facing her. Her eyes grew wide, and she tightly gripped her sword, as she fought the urge to turn tail and run. She didn't know much about defending, since Angeal would never attack her. She only knew how to attack, but facing three opponents would mean she would have to defend.

Before Mary could decide which opponent to attack, she was hit on the shoulder by a fourth. "Ouch." She said, as she turned around. "Oh shit, shoulda run." She said to herself, as the attacks started. Mary didn't have time to think, she just reacted to what was happening around her. Through her dodging and random swinging of her sword, she managed to take down one of her opponents, before eventually being taken. Before she knew what had happened, everything went black, and she felt herself falling towards to floor. The next thing she felt was a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax. You are okay. You did a very good job." She heard a familiar voice say. "Breathe." She heard it continue, she hadn't realized she had been holding her breath. Mary opened her eyes as she took a few breaths, and realized it was Angeal talking to her. She tried to sit up, and found that she was sweating and shaking. She removed her helmet and saw the empty room; she had gotten so caught up in the simulation that she had truly forgotten it wasn't real.

"I did a good job?" She asked, slightly confused.

"Yes. In the end, your form failed you, but you lasted a very long time on your reflexes." Angeal replied, "I don't think I've seen a 3rd class last that long in their first simulation. You should be proud." Mary blushed slightly and smiled.

"I could have told you she has great reflexes. She can dodge an attack without even knowing its coming; makes it hard to hit her with anything." Alanna said from the doorway. "And she is very good at flailing." She added.

"I was not flailing." Mary snapped at her. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"You aren't the only one who has to go through this. I'm next." Alanna replied. She had been waiting from the observation deck, trying to prepare herself for what she was about to endure. "Only, I actually know how to defend." She added, sticking her tongue out at Mary. Mary just glared back at her.

"Let's go watch the video, and see what we need to work on." Angeal said, offering his hand to Mary. "I wouldn't want to make Genesis have to wait any longer for this room, he gets cranky." He added while walking past Alanna and Genesis, Mary trying to suppress her giggle.

* * *

(Chapter 3)

Mary and Piper sat in the living room, taking a break from their training. They were both working on crocheting projects, since they had found a crafting store in Midgar. They frequented the store at least once a week for more yarn. While they were working on their projects, Cloud and Zack walked in, after getting their lunch. The four of them all connected pretty well. They were all hyper and childish when it was appropriate. Mary would try to keep that side at bay when Angeal was around, but with the two youngest SOLDIERS, she had no problem letting it show.

As the two boys plopped onto the couch, Mary set down her crocheting, and called Zack over to her. He jumped across the couch, and amply sat at her feet, expected to get his head pet. It was something that he enjoyed a lot, and he would jump around the living room at night, begging for pets from each person. Mary obliged, and started petting his head.

After some time, Mary looked over, and saw that Cloud was engrossed in his book, and seemed to not be paying attention. She had wanted to see what Cloud's hair felt like for a while, and she figured this was as good a time as any. She shifted under Zack, who looked up at her, confused. She put her finger to her lips, and pointed to Cloud. Zack nodded in understanding, and moved out of her way. Wasting little time, Mary flew across the room and jumped on the back of the couch, behind Cloud. Before he had time to react, she grabbed his head, and started massaging his scalp.

"What are you doing?!" Cloud yelled, as he was pulled back. He went to protest more, but the hands in his hair actually felt good.

"Shhh. You will like it, just stop protesting." Mary replied.

Alanna and Ryu had been in their rooms when they heard Cloud yell. They came running out, and saw that Mary was behind him, scratching his head. If he had protested at the beginning, it didn't seem as though he protesting now. They looked over, Zack and Piper were giggling on the other side of the couch.

"Looks like chocobo likes getting pet too." Zack said.

"Zack! I told you not to call me that!" Cloud protested.

"It's okay, chocobo. It's just a nickname. We don't mean any harm." Mary said, as she continued to play with his hair. She could feel his face getting red. She looked over, and saw that Ryu and Alanna had joined the puppies on the couch, and were now petting them as well.

Genesis and Angeal made their way from their rooms; it was time to go back to work. They laughed, seeing the scene that had unfolded in the living room. It wasn't odd to see the newest additions petting the puppies, or each other. However, they had never before managed to involve Cloud. Genesis hoped that it would end there. He hated people touching his hair, and he would not be impressed if they took to petting him as well. Angeal smirked, and walked away. He didn't worry much about it. No one had ever tried to touch his hair before; he guessed it was because he was so intimidating.

"Alright, time to go back to work." Angeal said, getting the attention of the two youngest SOLDIERs.

"Aww. Do we have to?" Zack complained.

"Yes, you have a responsibility…"Angeal began.

"Yeah, Yeah. I know. Let's go chocobo." Zack said. Cloud got up, glaring at Zack, and they followed the other SOLDIERs out the door.

"His hair is soft." Mary said. "I told you it was only a matter of time. Genesis is next on the list. Although, I think you should be the one to try it Alanna. He doesn't like me very much."

"That is because you keep calling him pretty." Alanna replied.

"What? He is pretty. It's not an insult, even if he takes it that way." Mary retorted.

"But guys don't like being called pretty. Nor do we like being called cute, or adorable." Matti said, as he walked through the living room. "Okay, back to work guys." He said.

With that, they all got up, and headed out to either the Turk offices or the training rooms.

* * *

(Chapter 3…still…)

Mary stood nervously, as Angeal set up the VR room. Angeal had decided to expose Mary to a helicopter ride, as she would soon be having to take one. Because of her apparent fear of heights and dislike of the feeling of falling, he decided that the VR room was the best place to start.

"We are going on an hour long trip. I want you to get used to the feeling of flying. It will be best to learn now, so that you are comfortable for the real thing." Angeal told her.

"Yes sir." Mary said nervously. With that, they put on the VR helmets, and Angeal started the program.

"After you." He said, opening the door to the helicopter. Mary just nodded her head, and climbed in; taking a seat towards the middle of the benches, where felt she would be the most comfortable. She was unsure if she would be able to look out of the window; the view might scare her more. Angeal sat down next to her. She felt the helicopter start to ascend, and she nervously grabbed at Angeal's arm, the way she usually did in the elevator.

"It's okay. Relax. Take a deep breath." Angeal said, trying to comfort her.

"Yes, sir." Mary said shakily. She closed her eyes, and tried to take deep breaths. She felt nauseous, and she could tell her hands were shaking. She hated herself for it, but she couldn't stop it. "Sorry." She said, as she removed her shaking hands from Angeal's arm, and laid them on her lap. She felt his hand rest on her shoulder.

"It's okay to be nervous. This is new to you. It takes time, and practice. You will get used to it. I was nervous the first time I got in a helicopter too." He offered, trying to make her feel better. After a few minutes, Mary started to relax, and she was finally able to open her eyes. "There, see, it's not that bad. It just takes time to get used to it is all." Angeal said when he saw her finally relax.

The helicopter ride had started out slow, and steady; Angeal had set it that way so that Mary could get used to it. It stayed that way for the first half an hour. Then the ride became more turbulent, and the helicopter kept rising and falling through the air. It was well in control, but it was to simulate less than perfect situations.

When this started happening, Mary started to shake again, and had to close her eyes. Noticing her anxiety, Angeal decided to take a new approach. He slid off his seat, and sat on the floor, directly in front of Mary. When Mary heard Angeal move, she tentatively opened her eyes, and gave a confused look when she saw him sitting on the floor.

"Um… Are you okay, sir?" Mary asked.

"Yes. I wanted to get into a more comfortable position. You need to relax. You can play with my hair, if you would like. It seems to help you calm down, I've noticed that when you pet Zack and Cloud, or your friends." Angeal explained. Mary hesitated; she was extremely surprised that this was coming from her mentor.

"Are you sure, sir?" She asked him.

"Yes, I am sure." He replied. Mary tentatively put her hands on Angeal's head, and ran her hand through his hair. Her hands were still shaking, and her stomach was in knots, but it helped take her mind off of the helicopter ride. She continued running her hand's through his hair, it was not as soft as Zack or Cloud's, she noticed. For the rest of the ride, Mary continued playing with Angeal's hair, and relaxed considerably. She had almost forgotten that she was in a helicopter, even though it wasn't real.

The ride was almost over, and the helicopter started to descend. Mary felt her stomach drop; she closed her eyes and held her breath. "Mary, let go please." She heard Angeal say. She hadn't even realized that she had clenched her fists, with his hair still in them.

"Sorry." She said, while letting go. She placed her hands on the bottom of the bench she was sitting on, and closed her eyes again. Luckily, the descent didn't take long, and the ride was over.

"See, that wasn't so bad. Although, I think we will need to practice again before putting you in a real helicopter." Angeal said, while offering a hand to Mary as she climbed out of the helicopter. She blushed and looked down at the floor, as they left the VR room.

As they entered the elevator, Mary felt as though she had to apologize again. "Sorry, again, sir. I didn't pull any hair out, did I?" She asked.

"No, you didn't. It's okay. Just don't pull so hard next time." He answered.

"Next time?" Mary said, confused.

"Tomorrow. We will run the simulation again, maybe a longer flight." Angeal said in reply, as the elevator opened and he got off and headed to his office. Mary stayed in the elevator, and pushed the button to go up to the apartments. She wondered if he was really going to let her play with his hair again. She smiled at the memory; she hadn't thought that he would ever let her do that.

* * *

(Chapter 3)

Reno sat in his chopper, waiting for his next trip. He was taking Commander Hewley for a day mission. There was a monster that needed to be handled, but it looked like it would be a simple in and out, and they would be back by the end of the day. He wasn't the biggest fan of SOLDIERs, but he had less to dislike about Commander Hewley as some of the others. Reno heard his passenger enter, and turned to see that the Commander had brought along his doppelganger.

"Oh, great." Mary said under her breath, as she saw who was flying them. Mary had a big issue with Reno. He was loud and obnoxious, and he hadn't been too kind to Ryu in training. Ryu kept saying that he wasn't that bad, but Mary could tell that he was pushing her too hard, and not for the right reasons. She also knew of Reno's attitude, and was hoping he wouldn't make this helicopter ride too difficult for her.

After a few more simulations in the VR room, Angeal had decided that Mary was ready to take a real helicopter ride. When he got his assignment, he called her down to join him. It was not a long flight, and the weather seemed calm, so he figured it was as good a day as any for it. When they boarded the helicopter, Angeal went to the front to talk to Reno before take-off.

"Reno. I assume you have all the information you need for this mission." Angeal said.

"Yes, sir. Got it all right here, yo." Reno said, tapping on his forehead.

"Good. Can I ask a favor? This is Mary's first real ride in a helicopter. Can you take it easy please?" Angeal asked calmly, without trying to insinuate anything.

"Can do. Nothing but smooth sailing ahead, yo." Reno said in response. Mary rolled her eyes from her seat.

Mary closed her eyes, and took a few deep breaths, as Angeal took his seat beside her. She had gotten used to the VR helicopter, but she was afraid that it would be much more difficult to control her anxiety with the real thing. Also, she had gotten really nervous as she walked across the top of the building; she had never been that high up before. She took a few more breaths, as Angeal rested his hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay; it will be just like the VR room." He said calmly. Mary turned and gave him a weak smile, before taking a few more deep breaths. She felt the helicopter lift off, and gripped the seat below her.

After a minute, the helicopter leveled off and was flying smoothly, and Mary started to relax. Her breathing became more even, and she was able to open her eyes, but her hands were still shaking. Angeal looked up at Reno, who appeared to be completely uncaring that he had passengers. He decided it was safe, and so he moved to his normal spot in front of Mary. Having her play with his hair had worked really well in the VR room. It was a good method to help calm her nerves, and she was much less shaky afterwards.

Angeal had noticed that it also helped his nerves a little. He had been on far too many helicopter rides to count, and he had grown accustomed to them; but he hadn't lied when he said he was also nervous when he first started. He had begun to enjoy the head rubs, although he wasn't going to let on, he preferred to have Mary believe it was for her nerves. Because of this, he always waited a few minutes before moving there, making it seem like it was needed to calm her down.

Mary sat there, the entire ride, playing with Angeal's hair. She barely noticed when the helicopter started to descend to their destination. When they had landed, Reno turned around and noticed what was happening. He turned around again, pretending not to notice.

"Here we are, yo." He said.

Angeal got up from the floor, and addressed Mary. "I will go talk to the town Mayor, and get a little more information on the whereabouts of the monster. You stay here. I will call when I know more, and you can come and observe if I feel it is safe enough. You are making great progress, but I don't wish to put you in harm's way just yet."

"Yes sir." Mary said. She wasn't too thrilled about staying with Reno, but she would do as she was told. With that, Angeal turned and exited the helicopter. When the door was closed, Reno turned around.

"So, SOLDIERs are getting head massages now. Must be nice." He said smugly.

"What's the matter, jealous?" Mary replied. She was nervous around Angeal, but not around Reno. She knew how to handle someone as arrogant as him. She started to get an idea.

"Why would I be, yo?" Reno replied. With that Mary walked over, and massaged Reno's head with her right hand. "Oh, that actually feels good." Reno said, while leaning his head back.

"You know, if you were nicer to Ryu, she would probably do this for you." Mary said to him, still massaging his head with her right hand, and running her fingers through the tail with her left.

"Yeah, whatever. I ain't being nice to that little brat, yo." Reno said. He felt his hair get yanked suddenly, as Mary wrapped her left hand in the tail and pulled hard.

"Watch your mouth. I won't have you talking about my friend like that." Mary said, still slightly pulling on his tail.

"Ouch. Would you stop it? That actually hurts, yo!" Reno screeched, while trying to pull his hair from her hand.

"This is the only warning you will get from me. Stop being a jerk!" Mary said, giving his hair another yank. She heard her PHS ring, and let go of Reno's hair.

"Yes?" She answered.

"I'm done with the Mayor. They say the monster is up on top of the hill. I'm going to head up now. You can come, and observe this fight; it does not seem too dangerous." Angeal said on the other end.

"Yes sir. Be right there." Mary answered, as she exited the chopper, not even looking back at Reno.

When Angeal and Mary returned from the fight, they entered the helicopter without saying a word. Reno started the helicopter, and took off. He wanted to yell at Mary for what she did, but he thought better of it. Commander Hewley was intimidating, and he didn't want to piss him off by yelling at his student. Instead, Reno decided to make the ride a little less smooth for his passengers.

Mary regretted her actions from earlier. The ride back was not fun for her. Luckily, Angeal had sat back down on the floor when the ride got uneasy, and she was able to focus on that on the way back. She also kept playing the battle over in her head. She had gotten to see how Angeal fought a few times in the VR room when he trained with Zack, but seeing it for real was much more interesting. She smiled as she remembered, and continued running her fingers through Angeal's hair.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Short chapter today, a few shorter stories from chapters 4-7 from doppelgangers, again, read that first. Some chapters have many short stories, as did chapter 3, and some others don't, like these few. When they are complete side stories they tend to be longer, when it was already touched upon in the original story I try to add in stuff, without repeating what was already said. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: ff7 belongs entirely to square enix

* * *

(Chapter 3-Chapter 4)

"Ready for a day of shopping?" Mary asked, as the group left the apartment and headed to the elevator.

"Oh yeah, just so excited." Morgan replied. Mary stuck her tongue out at his reply.

"You don't have to stay with us the whole time. You could always go to the arcade or something if you get bored." She replied.

They had just gotten paid, and were ready to go get new clothes. They had used their first few pay checks to buy things for their rooms, and other things that they deemed necessary, like computers and music players. They had held off on buying more clothing, partially because they knew that training would change their bodies. Now they were confident that they weren't going to change much more, and so they decided to go out and work on their wardrobes.

Once they got closer to the shops in Midgar, they decided to split into groups. Alanna and Ryu went to find higher end stores. Alanna preferred things that were more fashionable and high end, and she knew Genesis would throw a fit if she bought something that was cheap. Ryu joined her. She didn't care much either way, but as a Turk she made enough money to afford it, so she figured she would stay with Alanna. The boys went off together, to find a store with cheap and comfortable clothing, and then they would most likely make a stop at the gaming store they had found. Piper and Mary found a store with a large variety of clothes that were more cost efficient. Mary had gotten the money lecture from Angeal a few times already, and she didn't want to hear it again.

"Okay, we will split up, and meet back here in, let's say three hours." Mary said.

"Three hours? Why would it take three hours?" Morgan said, groaning.

"We are all different sizes, and different shapes in some cases. We will actually have to try things on. It may take longer than usual. Just find something to amuse yourselves for the extra time. It shouldn't be that hard." Mary said, as she started to walk off with Piper. "We'll call if we get done earlier." She added as they walked away.

The boys shook their heads, and walked off towards the store they planned on going to.

Mary and Piper sat down for a few minutes, they needed a break. They had discovered their new pant and shirt sizes, and had gotten a nice collection of casuals for everyday. Mary had decided that they should also get a few things that were dressier, in case they ever needed it.

"Why do you want dressy things so bad?" Piper asked her.

"I don't know. I just like dressy clothes. Plus, I want to look like a girl sometimes. I feel like I need to counteract the whole dressing as a SOLDIER thing. Even now, I still don't have a feminine build, so I want to dress girly, at least every once in a while." Mary explained.

"You want to make sure he sees you as a girl, don't you?" Piper asked, while lightly jabbing Mary in the side.

"What? Who? I don't know what you're talking about." Mary replied, pushing Piper off the bench. "Let's get going. We should try to get this done as soon as possible. And who knows, maybe we'll find you a nice skirt and you can wear it out on your date with Matti." Mary said, as she got up and started towards to skirt section.

"Yeah, good luck with that. I hate skirts." Piper said, following after her friend.

"Do you think I should get it?" Mary asked Piper. She was standing outside the dressing room, in a pink skirt, with black and white flowers on it.

"It looks good, so why not? Plus, it will totally freak the others out." Piper added.

"It is a nice cut. Plus, it will look good when I dye my hair black again. You know what, I'll get it. Now we just need to find a top that matches." Mary said, making her decision. They continued with their shopping, and left with their bags full of new clothing.

When the group returned to the apartment, the girls decided that they had to share their purchases with each other. The boys grumbled, and decided to put in one of the new games that they got. They were playing for about half an hour before they heard giggling break out from the girls' room.

"What's with all the giggling in there?" Morgan shouted.

"You won't believe me if I tell you." Ryu yelled in response. The boys looked at each other, paused their game, and decided to go see what was happening. When they entered the room, they saw Mary standing in a pink skirt and white tank top, with a pink scarf and black boots.

"What the…" Morgan began, before he too started out in giggles.

"Yup. Definitely needed to see that to believe it." Matti added.

"Seriously guys. It's just a pink skirt. Just because it isn't my favorite color doesn't mean I can't wear it." Mary said, while glaring at her friends.

"We just never expected to see you in a pink skirt. It looks good though." Ryu said, while recovering from her laughter.

"It does, you should wear it to dinner." Alanna said, while throwing a glance to Ryu. They both knew that she liked Angeal, and they were both prepared to meddle to get them together.

"I'll only do it if you all wear one of your new skirts. I don't want to be the only one." Mary said. The other girls nodded their heads, and started to go through the piles of clothes, deciding what they wanted to wear. The boys just shook their heads and walked out of the room.

"Girls." Matti said as they sat down to restart their game. Morgan just nodded.

* * *

(Chapter 5)

The group of six sat in their room that they had claimed, talking about some of the new things they were learning, when they heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Ryu asked, in a singsong kind of tone.

"Tseng. I need to talk to the SOLDIER Turks." Tseng replied, waiting patiently at the door. When the group heard him, they quickly got up and opened the door.

"Yes Director?" Alanna asked.

"You three will be going through some Turk Testing tomorrow. Though you are mainly being trained as SOLDIERs, you may at times be needed to assist the Turks. I would like to run some tests and find out what your strengths are, so we can train you in those areas. Meet me in my office tomorrow morning." Tseng answered, before turning to his doppelganger. "And as for you, some time has opened in my schedule; we can do some hand to hand training tonight." He said, before turning to walk away.

"Oh goody." Matti muttered, before leaving the room and following Tseng out of the apartment.

"Turk Testing, I'm not sure I like the sound of that." Mary said, as she plopped back down on the couch.

"Whatever. It could be fun." Alanna replied, as she joined her on the couch.

"Today we will be doing some basic testing to determine what your strengths are. We will begin with some computerized tests to gauge your mental capacities, and then we will do the physical tests. Follow me please." Tseng said to the three SOLDIER Turks in his office. They simply nodded their heads and followed him down a hallway, to a room full of computers.

"There will be a variety of tests for you to go through to test different things. There will be instructions on the screen as to how each test is run. When you have finished each test, raise your hand so we can collect the data and you can move on." Tseng instructed, as the girls each chose a computer to sit at. "The first test should be open, and you can begin now. It should only take a few minutes." He added.

The moment Mary and Alanna looked at their screens, they knew what the test was. It was similar to a game that they played to pass time back in their world. Mary was obsessed with it, and could play at very high speeds. Alanna was also good at the game, though she could not go as fast. Piper knew the game, but did not understand it and hated playing in. "It's just like Minesweeper!" Mary whispered excitedly, while Alanna rolled her eyes. Once Tseng said that they could begin, Mary started clicking the mouse furiously.

Within a minute, Mary raised her hand, just as Tseng started to walk away. "Yes Mary, do you have a question?" Tseng asked.

"No question, I'm just done." She said proudly, earning herself the finger from Alanna, who was only halfway done.

"You can't be done already. Let me see." Tseng said, as he walked to Mary's computer screen.

"Well I am done; I must be good at this game or something." Mary said, trying to hide the fact that she played the game far too many times.

"Or something." Alanna muttered. Tseng looked at the screen, and saw that Mary had in fact finished the game, and in record time. He was about to question it, when Alanna raised her hand as well. "Done. And she is good at the test because it's like a game we have at home. She plays it all the time." She said, sticking her tongue out at Mary, who returned the favor.

"You didn't have to tell him that." Mary muttered. Tseng looked at both of them, and decided to let it go.

"Noted. You can both move on to the next test now." Tseng instructed, and both girls turned back to their computers to continue with the testing.

"I always hated this stupid game." They all heard from Piper, who was still struggling.

By the afternoon, the SOLDIER Turks were tired. They had gone through a few hours of computer testing, and then had to do physical testing for another couple of hours. It wasn't necessarily hard for them, but it was different from what they were used to doing. They were now sitting in a conference room, waiting for the results from their tests.

"I hate this part; the waiting. You no longer have any control of how well you did." Mary said as they waited.

"This isn't like a college test. It's just to give them an idea of what we are good at, so they can find a job for us to do that suits our strengths." Alanna said to Mary.

"Still makes me nervous like a college test." Piper replied; she had always hated tests. She got so nervous, and would spend hours studying. She had no way to study for these tests, and so she was even more nervous, and hoped that she had done well.

"It'll be okay, Puppy." Alanna said, as Tseng entered the conference room.

"The results are in, and we have decided what each of you will be trained for, and with whom you will be trained." Tseng began. "Now, where shall we start?" He said, as he looked over the three girls. "Mary, you will be trained for surveillance. You test high in visual acuity and you have a quick mind. You also did very well in climbing tests, and you are exceptionally fast. You will be trained to go through hours of video and report any anomalies, as well as being trained to set up and place security cameras when necessary." He began.

"Funny that the blind person scored so highly on visual acuity." Alanna said, causing Piper to giggle.

"It's because I'm blind that I can see smaller details and recognize patterns. When you can't see details, you need to learn to notice what you can to get through the day. I didn't get glasses until I was 12." Mary pointed out.

"I know. It was a joke. You didn't need to give us a lesson." Alanna retorted. Tseng cleared his throat.

"Sorry Sir." The two girls said, looking down at the desk in front of them.

"Alanna, you scored highest in emotion perception and problem solving. You will be training in interrogation analysis. You will watch interrogations and put together both the spoken and unspoken information that is given. The interrogators know how to do this, but it is good to have an extra perspective." He explained. Alanna had a devilish smile on her face, indicating she was pleased with the result.

"And as for you Piper, you surprisingly scored highest in stealth, and you scored very well in the physical testing. You will be being trained as a thief."

"That is perfect. She is pretty much impossible to track down or follow, and who would ever suspect her? She looks like a child; no one would ever suspect a thing." Mary said, with Alanna giggling and nodding.

"I agree. She has a look and disposition that will work well. That is all. I will have your specific training assignments soon. You are free for the day." Tseng said, as he turned and left the room.

* * *

(Chapter 6)

Mary sat on the bed in her room, humming while she worked. It was almost Christmas, and she was trying to finish the gifts she was making for everyone. She had been making blankets back in their world, but the work she did was lost, and she didn't have nearly enough time to start over since they arrived. So she settled with making a hat and two little pillows for each person. It was what she made them the year prior, but those were also left behind.

She worked quickly, trying to finish the last hat before Alanna got back from training. Mary was glad that she took the morning training sessions, and Alanna preferred the later ones. It gave Mary a chance to work on the gifts without anyone knowing. She was still sharing a room with Alanna, and Ryu, technically. But Ryu spent most of her time in Morgan's room, so Mary didn't worry about her.

When Mary was finished, she put the hat in the box with the others, and left the room, grabbing a different crochet project. Along with replacing her friend's gifts for Christmas, she was also trying to replace the blanket she had made for herself. She hadn't been able to find the same patterned yarn, but she did find a few bright colors that would suffice. Mary loved bright colors, and it definitely reflected in her room, and most of her wardrobe. Genesis always scoffed when he was in the room, thinking the bright colors to be tacky.

As Mary sat on the couch in the living room, she continued humming Christmas carols. She loved Christmas, and was even more energetic because of it. She didn't care much about getting presents, but she loved making them for others. And she also just loved the spirit that came with the season, and especially snow. She was upset to find that there was no snow in Midgar.

The group of doppelgangers had decided to celebrate on their own, not including the SOLDIERs or the Turks in their festivities. Mary found it hard not to get excited and explain Christmas to her new friends, but she had managed to keep quiet. She understood that the group wanted something that was all their own, and so they were going to celebrate in their meeting place.

The girls had found things to decorate the room. They didn't have a tree, or the traditional decorations, but they made do with what they could find. Mary had made a lot of crochet snowflakes, as she did the year prior, and had hung them from the ceiling of the room. It was very festive, and made her very happy every time they were in there.

"What are you humming?" Zack asked, as he and Piper joined Mary on the couch.

"Just a song, you wouldn't know it." Mary replied, smiling and winking at Piper. Piper scooted over to Mary, and they sat crocheting and humming together.

* * *

(Chapter Seven)

The four girls sat in their room, singing some of their favorite Christmas carols. They were waiting for the boys to return from work. The girls heard footsteps outside the door, and a knock.

"What are you guys doing? Can we join?" They heard, and recognized Zack's voice.

"Sorry puppy. This is our night, you have to stay out." Mary replied.

"Aww. You guys are no fun." Zack said, as his shoulders slumped and he started to walk away.

"We are plenty of fun. Right guys?" Mary said, as she chugged her spiked eggnog. Alanna had somehow managed to find something similar to the holiday drink, and had also managed to spike it. After finishing her eggnog, Mary went to find another drink. She didn't drink very often, but when she did, she drank a lot, and very quickly.

"You are supposed to enjoy it." Alanna said to her. "I worked hard to find it."  
"I did enjoy it. It was very tasty." Mary replied. "What else do we have?" Alanna rolled her eyes, and got up to make Mary another drink. She always tried to get her to slow down, but she knew it wouldn't work. Luckily, Mary knew when to stop. Plus, she was quite entertaining when she had alcohol in her system. Alanna was curious to find out what she would do.

The girls continued singing and making jokes and giggling until the boys returned. When they did, they were promptly smashed with pillows. The group enjoyed light conversation, and more alcohol, and teased each other until they heard a knock at the door.

"You know what would be fun? The Christmas Can-Can!" Mary said, in an excited whisper.

"If you lead, I will follow." Alanna said. Piper and Ryu nodded behind her.

"Okay, then let's go." Mary said, while grabbing a pillow and heading for the door. The others followed suit, and threw the pillows at Reno as they left the room.

After their performance, they returned to the room, and broke out in giggles. There was some light teasing, and they started to feel the effects of the alcohol more. Piper started dozing off on Matti's lap, and Ryu had curled up onto Morgan. Alanna had leaned on Mary's lap and was getting her hair pet.

"See, this is why I give you alcohol. You are much more fun when you loosen up." Alanna said to Mary.

"Hey, I am fun all the time." Mary replied.

"Nuh uh. You are all boring when Angeal is around." Alanna said, and Ryu nodded her head.

"It's true. You get all quiet and you act all, adult." Ryu said. "It's not like he is going to not like you because you act like a kid every now and again." She added.

"Oh shush it. There is nothing wrong with acting my age." Mary said. She had been keeping her childish side at bay. She was worried that if she acted like herself, she would seem young and irresponsible. She wanted Angeal to see her as more than that. She didn't want him to look at him the way he looked at Zack. And she definitely did not want to be seen as a puppy.

"Oh no, she's getting cranky. Better get her some more alcohol." Morgan said.

"No. I think I'm done for the night. I know it isn't Christmas yet, but can we open a few presents?" She asked. She had made two presents for each of them, and she wanted them to open the pillows, so they could use them that night.

"Sure. What would you like us to open?" Ryu replied. She wasn't sure, but she had a pretty good idea about what Mary had made for them. Mary was not very discreet, nor was she good at keeping secrets that weren't important.

"These ones." Mary said, as she handed the boxes to each person. They all opened them, and took out their new pillows.

"How did I know?" Ryu said, pulling out her pillow, and smacking Morgan in the face with it.

"HEY!" Morgan yelled, as he took out one of his pillows and hit Ryu back. Alanna got up from her place on the floor, and smacked Matti across the face. With that, a full out pillow war was started.

When the fight seemed to die down, they decided that it was time for bed. They all got up and changed into their pajamas, and lay down on the floor of pillows and blankets. It was one in the morning by that time.

"Merry Christmas, yo." Ryu said, as everyone started to fall asleep.

* * *

(Chapter 7)

Mary woke to loud pounding on the door. She was very unhappy. It was Christmas, and they were supposed to have the morning off to open presents. When she got up, she met Angeal at the door. He informed her that they all had missions to go on, and that she would need to wake the others up. As she turned, she looked at her friends, and hated that she was the one who always seemed to have to wake them up.

Mary wasn't sure of the best way to do it. Last time, she had gone to each person and woken them up. But, it was Christmas, and there was a chance she could get everyone up by talking loudly. She decided that it was the best and most efficient way to go; they would all need to be up and dressed as quickly as possible.

"Guys, wake up! It's Christmas!" She yelled. The group all startled awake, and looked at her with angry eyes.

"Why are you yelling?" Alanna said, as she covered her ears.

"Sorry to break it to you, but, um, we all have missions. We need to get up now." Mary said, while she walked over and started collecting her blankets. Ryu and Alanna both glared at her. Just then, Reno burst through the door.

"Come on Ryu, up and at 'em. We got work to do, yo." Reno said. Ryu glare moved to Reno, as she started to get up, grabbing her blankets and following Reno out the door. Mary had practically run from the room when Reno barged in. She was glad for the distraction, and didn't want to be around her cranky friends. She jumped in the shower quickly, and then dressed and packed her bag. They hadn't gotten any details on the mission, but she had been told to always pack for a few days, because you would never know how long you could be away. She waited for Alanna and Piper in the living room, where they were met by Zack, who took them to the helicopter.

"Great. A helicopter ride." Mary grumbled. She had gotten slightly more used to the helicopter, but she was still not a fan. And with the other SOLDIERs with them, she doubted that she would have her usual comfort of Angeal's hair to play with.

"It's okay Mary; I'll sit next to you." Piper said, encouraging her friend. When they got into the helicopter, Piper did just that, and within minutes was leaning on Mary, falling back asleep. Mary was glad Piper was with her, and that she took the opportunity to play with her hair.

When they arrived at their location, Mary's eyes widened and she became very excited, though she tried to hide it. When the helicopter door opened, she could see snow. It was a perfect way to make up for them not getting presents. Mary almost burst into laughter when Alanna tripped into it, and started complaining about it. She knew her friend hated snow, but she herself loved it. She saw Piper and Zack jump into a snow bank, and start making snow angels. She told them to stop, but only because she wanted to join, but was pretty sure she would get lectured for it. She decided that she would enjoy the snow once they were settled in. She followed the SOLDIERs into the Inn, not knowing what to expect.

Once everything was settled with the Inn, the SOLDIERs left to take care of the monsters in the area. Mary took the opportunity to enjoy the snow. She put on her jacket, and asked Piper if she wanted to join. Piper's face lit up, and she grabbed her coat and followed Mary. Once outside, they had a small little snowball fight, and then made a small snowman. Once the sun set, they went back inside and did the checks that they were supposed to do of the hotel. Mary went to check to SOLDIERs room, and found Alanna lying on Genesis' bed, reading LOVELESS. She shook her head, closed the door.

She returned to her own room, and sat on the bed. She hadn't thought to bring anything to do, so she sat back on the bed. She laughed at how Alanna had slept on Genesis' lap in the helicopter, and how she was currently laying on his bed reading his copy of LOVELESS. Alanna was always quoting that play, just as Genesis did. Mary hated the quoting. She didn't actually mind the play, but it got annoying after the first few times.

Mary laughed and shook her head. She knew that Alanna liked Genesis, and she wasn't too happy about it. Genesis and Mary didn't get along very well. Their personalities clashed, and anytime they were around each other, there was typically a little war of insults happening. The more Alanna trained with Genesis, the more he rubbed off on her. Mary could handle Alanna acting that way, but it was only because they had been friends for so long; she couldn't take it when Genesis was acting that way though. But even though she disliked Genesis, she still wanted Alanna to be happy. She could understand why she liked him; he was rather attractive, even though Mary continually teased him for being pretty.

She shook her head. She was getting tired, and the SOLDIERs still weren't back. Mary went outside, and looked in the direction that they had left. They didn't appear to be on their way back, so Mary went back inside, and got ready for bed, she was exhausted from the stress of the helicopter ride; and maybe from the alcohol the night before.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Long chapter today, a few shorter stories from chapters 10-12 from doppelgangers, again, read that first. Some funny/cute short stories for Mary, plus some not so nice ones. I'll admit, I am not good at fight scenes, so bare with me. Let me know what you think! And check out the pictures for the doppelgangers with their mentors on my profile :)

Disclaimer: ff7 belongs entirely to square enix

* * *

(Chapter 10-Chapter 11)

Mary sat up in her bed. It was three in the morning, and she still couldn't sleep. She was angry, and had been for a week or two, and it was starting to wear on her. She was usually able to let her anger go quickly, but it didn't seem to be working this time. She tried to clear her head so she could fall asleep, but it wasn't working.

Her anger was first set off by Genesis. He had nearly killed Alanna in one of his training sessions. Mary had been furious, and barely left Alanna's side; and anytime Genesis was around she would glare at him until he left. She had wanted to go after him, yell at him, and maybe punch him in the face, but she knew better. Alanna would never forgive her if she was to do that. So instead, she would glare at him in warning, and it seemed to work.

Once Alanna was better again, she started training with Mary and Angeal. To Mary's dismay, he had given Alanna two swords to fight with. Mary hated when Alanna had two swords, she had no idea how to defend against them. And on top of that, Angeal got her dual Rune blades and then let her train with Genesis.

"Stupid Rune blades…" Mary muttered. Alanna stirred in her bed, and noticed that Mary was still awake. She got up and joined Mary on her bed.

"Are you okay, why aren't you asleep?" Alanna asked. Mary startled, she hadn't noticed Alanna get up.

"Fine. Just thinking." Mary said, with a tone that Alanna easily recognized.

"Are you mad at me?" Alanna asked.

"Not at you, it's not your fault. I'm just mad." Mary replied, looking out the window.

"It's about the dual blades, isn't it? I don't think he meant anything by it. He is just doing what he thinks is necessary for us to improve." Alanna said, while putting her hand around Mary's shoulder.

"I know but, I'm his student. He is supposed to get me a sword, not you." She said, leaning into Alanna.

"You don't need a new sword, you do plenty of damage with the buster jr. And I needed them; I wasn't doing well with the buster jrs."

"Whatever. And what was that crap about me depending on my strength too much? All he does is defending, he never really fights me. Of course I depend on my strength, all I do is attack a freaking concrete wall." Mary said, her voice becoming angrier. "It sucked that Genesis hurt you, but at least he will fight you. All Angeal does is send me through drills. How am I supposed to get better if he doesn't fight back?"

Alanna just sat there, rubbing Mary's back. She knew that there was nothing she could really say. After a few minutes, she could feel Mary start to relax. "Ready to go to sleep now?" She asked. Mary nodded her head as she spread out on her bed, while Alanna went back to her own bed. Within minutes, they were both sound asleep.

The next morning, Mary was exhausted, but she still got up and went for her run. It was slow and sluggish, but it was enough to wake her up and give her some energy for the rest of the day. Angeal had her training with Alanna again, and by the end Mary was exhausted. She didn't say anything to Angeal as she left the training room, and headed back to the apartment.

Mary went straight to her room, and removed her harness, paldrons, and boots. She decided food was more important than changing, so she went into the kitchen. When she had eaten her snack, she went to sit in the living room, and ran into Zack. As per usual, he picked her up in a hug, but to his surprise, when he went to set her down, she wouldn't let go.

"You gonna let go, Mary?" When he got no reply, he decided to just go sit in the living room with her. "Are you okay Mary?" Zack asked, as they sat on the couch, and Mary curled herself around Zack.

"Tired." Was all she said in reply. Zack was puzzled, but let it go and put his hand on Mary's shoulder. They had become like siblings, so he didn't see anything wrong with them cuddling together on the couch. With Mary curled around him, he became warm and comfortable, and with her there he was unable to get up and move around. After a few minutes, they were both asleep.

Angeal stood in the elevator, glad his day was finally over. After his training session, he had a lot of paperwork to go through. He usually had Mary with him to help, but she had left the training room before he could ask her to join him. –_She has been very quiet the last few days_- He thought to himself. He didn't realize it, but he enjoyed being around her. She liked to talk, though she wasn't quite as talkative as Zack. She was also very energetic, but was in control of her energy. She could train for hours without needing a break, and was very good at assisting with paperwork. He didn't notice how much he enjoyed her being around until she wasn't. He started to wonder if he had done something to upset her.

As he walked into the living room, he saw Zack and Mary curled up together on the couch, asleep. He paused for a second, and then decided to leave them alone, as he went to his room to tend to his plants.

-_Is that why she has been quiet? Is she involved with Zack?_- He thought to himself. He couldn't help the jealous feeling he started to get. He shouldn't be jealous; he had no claim to her. –_Why shouldn't they be together? They are very similar, they get along well, and they are closer in age_- He said to himself, but it didn't help get rid of the feeling that was gnawing at him. He decided to go talk to them both, and see what was going on.

When he re-entered the living room, he found that Cloud and Piper had joined the cuddling. Piper was curled around Mary, who had removed her arms from Zack and was now petting Piper in her sleep. Cloud was leaning on the other side of Zack. Neither Zack nor Mary seemed bothered by the addition of their friends.

-_Maybe you were just overreacting_- Angeal thought to himself, as he sat on the other end of the couch, and took out his book.

"Does Mary seem upset to you?" Zack asked Angeal as he sat down in his office.

"Why do you ask?" Angeal replied, though he had been wondering the same thing.

"I don't know. She was just acting weird yesterday. I've never seen her tired like that. She curled up and fell asleep on me. With Piper I'm used to it, but not Mary." He said. Angeal was relieved to hear that. It meant that the other day was an oddity, and he didn't have to worry about his students being together. Angeal shook his head.

"If she is upset, I don't know why. She doesn't seem to share her negative feelings the same way she does her positive ones." He replied.

"Well I hope she's okay." Zack said, as he got up from his chair. "Gotta go train with Piper puppy. See ya later." He said, as he left Angeal's office.

Later that evening, Mary was assisting Angeal with cooking dinner. Angeal appreciated the help, as he usually did, but he was still worried about her. She still hadn't said anything; she just went about washing and chopping vegetables.

"Are you okay, Mary?" Angeal finally turned around and asked her.

"Yeah. Just haven't been sleeping well." She replied. She was still upset with him, but she knew she had no reason to be, so she would keep it her herself. She had hoped that she hadn't been acting too out of the ordinary, but it seemed her feelings were apparent.

"Why haven't you been sleeping well?" Angeal asked. He had never known her to have trouble sleeping; she always seemed well rested and awake when they were training together.

"I'd rather not talk about it." She replied, looking down at the floor. She didn't like to express her feelings to others; she felt she could handle it on her own. "I'll be fine. I just need a good night's sleep, is all." She said, as she left the kitchen to sit in the living room, curling up between Zack and Cloud.

Angeal stood in the kitchen, thinking over what she had said. She didn't appear to be angry, or upset about anything. He decided to let it go. She seemed to be an emotionally stable person, and she said she would be okay. –_She'll be okay, she'll figure it out._- He thought to himself, as he turned his attention back to preparing dinner.

* * *

(Chapter 11-Chapter 12)

"Okay, I'm tired. I'm heading to bed." Mary said, as she got up from the couch. "And don't be surprised if I don't get up tomorrow." She added.

"Mary. You will get up and train like you always do. It's just Valentine's Day, it won't kill you." Ryu yelled down the hall.

"You don't know that." Mary yelled back, as she closed the door to her room.

"What is Valentine's Day?" Zack asked, while tilting his head. The other SOLDIERs in the room also turned to Ryu, as they had never heard of it before.

"It's a day where people either reaffirm that they love someone, or let someone know that they like them. It is usually accompanied with flowers or chocolate." Ryu answered. Morgan snorted.

"Pretty much it's a day to give girls flowers and chocolate, and tell them they are pretty." Morgan said. Alanna and Piper laughed at his remark, while Ryu stuck her tongue out at him.

"So why is Mary so upset about that?" Zack asked.

"It's complicated." Ryu responded. "She's never really gotten anything for Valentine's Day, not seriously at least. She always feels left out on this day. I'm pretty sure it's her least favorite day of the year."

"So, if we were to buy her flowers, she would feel better?" Zack asked, tilting his head to the side. Ryu and Alanna shrugged their shoulders.

"It's possible." They both replied. The SOLDIERs all thought about that, while they got up and went back to their own rooms.

"Hey Angeal, is there any chance I could snip a flower from your greenhouse." Genesis asked his best friend.

"And why would you want to do that?" Angeal responded, raising an eyebrow.

"I just figured I should give one to Alanna. It sounds like it is something important in their world. And all of them deserve a flower." Genesis replied. "Hey Zack, you should get a flower for Piper." He added.

"Hey, that's a good idea. I was gonna try and find one for Mary, but I hadn't thought about Piper." Zack said, scratching the back of his head.

"I have plenty of flowers. We can each give one to each of the girls. That way, they all feel appreciated." Angeal said, as he opened his door, and headed to his greenhouse. He went about cutting the flowers off of his plants, and handing them out to the other SOLDIERs.

The next morning, when Mary went into the kitchen, she noticed four bouquets of flowers. She inspected them, and each had five flowers, and a card. Each card had one of the girls' names on it, and was signed on the back by each of the SOLDIERs. Mary couldn't help but smile. She took her bouquet and returned to her room, setting it on her bedside table, before heading out for her run.

When Mary returned from her run, she found Zack and Cloud in the kitchen. She ran up to each of them and hugged them.

"Thanks guys." She said.

"No problem, Mary. We wanted you to know how much we like you." Zack responded. Mary smiled, and went to change for training. When she returned, she found the remaining SOLDIERs in the kitchen, getting their coffee. She wanted to hug each of them, but she was very cautious about it. Sephiroth was not one for personal contact, and Mary was a bit scared of him. She was unsure about hugging Genesis, because of their history, and she was too nervous to hug Angeal. Before she could decide what to do, Angeal looked at her and got up from his chair.

"Happy Valentine's Day." He said simply, before giving her a small hug. The other two followed, suit, and each quickly hugged her. She stood there, surprised for a few moments, before shaking her head and going about finding her breakfast.

"Thank you, guys. It means a lot." She said, once she had sat down with her food.

"You're welcome." They all said.

"So, what are we doing for training today?" Mary asked Angeal after a few minutes.

"Actually, today I thought you could train with Sephiroth." Angeal replied. Mary almost choked on her toast. She was not expecting to hear that. "Don't worry. You won't be fighting him. You will be going with him on a mission, to observe. Sephiroth has a very different fighting style than I do, and I think you could learn a lot from watching him in action." Angeal explained.

"Okay." Mary said tentatively. "When do we leave?" She asked, turning to Sephiroth.

"In an hour. I need to stop by my office and finish up some paperwork. Then we can head out. I will meet at the helicopter." He replied, as he left the kitchen.

Mary sat in the helicopter, waiting for Sephiroth to arrive. She had arrived early, hoping that she could calm her nerves before they started flying. She knew it would be a quiet flight. Sephiroth was not one to converse unless it was necessary, and Rude was their pilot; he wasn't much for conversation either. When Sephiroth finally arrived, he sat down across from Mary, and crossed his leg over the other.

"All set?" Rude asked from the pilot's seat.

"Yes. We are all set. Let's head out." Sephiroth replied.

The flight wasn't very long, and Mary was okay with that. She felt uncomfortable sitting in the silence. She was pretty sure she had started humming half-way through, but she wasn't sure; her nerves were getting the best of her. If she had, neither of the two silent passengers said anything about it. When they finally landed, Mary let out a deep breath.

"Remember. You are just here to observe. Follow me, and I will find a place for you to watch." Sephiroth said, as they exited the helicopter. Mary did as she was told, and followed Sephiroth. She watched in awe as he gracefully fought the monsters. She couldn't understand how he had managed to move the way he did, or how he could wield the sword that was almost seven feet long. She was so caught up in the fight, that she didn't notice the storm that had rolled in.

Without warning, the wind picked up, and it started to downpour. Mary was glad that she was in her Turk uniform. She unzipped her jacket and threw it over her head. Sephiroth continued to fight, as if it wasn't happening, though the wind blew his hair in every direction and sometimes got in his way. Within minutes the storm was gone, and the monsters were slain. When it was finished, she followed Sephiroth back to the helicopter, noticing that his hair was covered in mud and was in knots.

As they sat in the helicopter on the ride back, Mary noticed Sephiroth fidgeting with his hair; the knots appeared to be irritating him. Mary cautiously moved to sit next to Sephiroth.

"May I?" She asked, as she pointed to his hair. He looked at her with a confused expression. No one ever touched his hair. "I will be gentle, I promise. I just want to get the knots out." Mary said, seeing the hesitation in his eyes.

"Fine, but no funny business." He replied, turning to give Mary better access to the knotted mess.

Mary took Sephiroth's hair in her left hand, and started working on the knots with her right. Within a few minutes, she had the knots out of his hair, and was running her hands along the length of the silver strands. She was impressed with how soft it was, even after being covered in mood and rained on.

"Alright. The knots are all out." She said finally. Sephiroth turned back to her.

"Already? I barely felt a thing." He said, surprised that she was done already.

"That's because I held the hair higher up. It makes it so you don't feel the pulling. I have worked on much worse hair than yours. I'm used to pulling mats out of dog's fur or burs out of horse's manes; your hair was much easier to deal with." Mary said, giving Seph a gentle smile.

Sephiroth gave Mary a slightly confused look. "What is a horse? Is it a creature in your world?" He asked her, he had never heard of a horse before. Mary giggled a little, and shook her head.

"A horse is almost the equivalent of a Chocobo, except, different." She replied. "We use them the same way you use Chocobos, and they have an important part of our world's history. But they aren't giant birds. They are more like, giant dogs, I guess. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors. But in general, they are tall, have four legs, long backs, medium necks and a long face. Unlike Chocobos, which are like giant chickens." Mary said, as she let out a shudder, which Sephiroth felt go through her hands.

"Do you not like chickens?" He asked.

"No, never did. I was afraid of them for quite a long time. I grew up on a farm, loved the larger animals that most people feared, but I feared the little chickens. I got attacked once, and it took me a while to get over it. Those beaks hurt." She replied.

"Don't worry, most Chocobos are good tempered, at least the ones that SOLDIER usually works with." Sephiroth said. He wouldn't want her to fear Chocobos, since they would sometimes need to use them for missions.

"Well that's good. I was hoping there would be horses here, but if they are similar in temperament, I may actually like Chocobos." She said, smiling a little. "I haven't ridden in awhile; it would be nice to go sometime."

"You used to ride?" Sephiroth asked.

"Yeah, growing up on the farm and with my Aunts I learned to ride when I was very young. But, I learned on well trained horses, and they eventually got old and had to be put down. The new horses were not so well trained, and I was in school so I barely got to ride. One of them bucked me off and almost broke my tailbone once, and the other threw me and almost snapped my neck. I lost a lot of confidence, and stopped riding for a while." She said, remembering suddenly how much her tailbone had felt from that particular fall. "It didn't help that both horses were short and fat, so riding was uncomfortable anyway." She added.

"That must have hurt. I've never fallen before." Sephiroth said when Mary seemed like she was not going to say anymore.

"Yeah, I didn't fall very often, so it took me by surprise. But I felt a little better though, once it finally happened. I knew it was only a matter of time. One of the sayings among horse people is 'if you've never fallen, you aren't riding enough'." She said, trying to keep up the conversation. She was very surprised that the conversation was even happening between her and Sephiroth. "You know, one of those horses had hair quite similar to yours." Mary added.

"Oh really?" Sephiroth asked. "How so?"

"Well, horses have three sets of hair, typically. A tail that has long hair on it, a mane which covers their neck and typically falls to one side, and a forelock that is sorta like bangs. My Aunts horse is a Norwegian Fjord, so she had a particularly pretty type of hair. They have both black and white hair, instead of just one color; and they have three manes instead of one." Mary explained.

"That sounds interesting." Sephiroth replied, though he could not picture it, since he had never seen a horse.

"Yeah, well usually with that breed they keep the manes really short, but if you grow it out they have three manes. White on each side, and then a nice stripe of black; and then a stripe of black in the tail as well. My Aunt likes to let her horse's hair grow out, and when it was long, the white hair was quite similar to yours." She continued, "Except not as easy to handle, since it didn't get washed and conditioned every day." After that comment, the conversation stopped, but Mary was alright with that. She had never expected an impromptu conversation about horses, especially with Sephiroth. She just looked over and smiled at him.

Sephiroth smiled back to her, and turned again. He had actually enjoyed Mary brushing through his hair. Mary took the hint, and went back to taking care of Sephiroth's hair.

"I assume you want me to keep this between us?" Mary asked.

"That would be appreciated. I don't want my hair attacked every day." Sephiroth replied. There was a reason he usually never let people touch his hair.

"Got it. It'll be our little secret." Mary said. She laughed lightly to herself, remembering her little secret of playing with Angeal's hair in the helicopter. She suddenly remembered the flowers from earlier that morning, and the hugs she had received. She smiled even more. She hadn't expected to become so close to the SOLDIERs, but they were started to feel like close friends.

* * *

(Chapter 12)

"What is Mary doing?" Sephiroth asked, as he left the kitchen and into the living room, sitting on the couch.

"Spring cleaning, she does it every year. Just stay out of her way, and do anything she tells you to do. It's much safer that way." Ryu replied, without looking up from her book.

"Okay…" Sephiroth replied, not fully understanding what was meant by Ryu's comment. He reached over to the side table, and pulled out a book. He figured reading was a good way to stay out of Mary's way, as Ryu had advised.

"Well aren't you a good little housewife." Genesis said while walking into the kitchen, as Mary was moving items around the kitchen and scrubbing the counter. Mary promptly pulled out a steak knife and pointed it at him.

"Mind your tone with me, Genesis Rhapsodos." Mary snapped at him. Genesis raised his hands in a non-confrontational manner, as he backed out of the kitchen.

"I guess that's a touchy subject." He muttered, as he turned back to his room.

"What is a sensitive subject?" Angeal asked as he almost ran into his best friend.

"Don't call Mary a housewife; apparently she doesn't like the idea." Genesis said over his shoulder, as he opened the door to his room.

"Noted." Angeal said, as he went into the living room. He found it interesting that she would take such offense to that type of comment, since that is how she acted most of the time. She helped him with the cooking most nights, and he had heard she did most of the cooking while he was away. She was also the one who would clean the kitchen and do the dishes every day, as well as keep the common area relatively clean. He chucked softly and shook his head.

"Alright Cloud and Zack, go clean your rooms, and let me know when you are done. I need to wash your windows and vacuum your floors." Mary ordered the two young SOLDIERs.

"But I don't wanna clean my room." Zack whined, as Cloud turned and went straight to his room. Cloud's room wasn't as messy as Zack's, so he only had a small amount of work to do. He had learned early to listen to his mother when she told him to do something, and Mary was sporting the same tone his mother used to use on him; apparently Zack never got the memo.

"Go clean your room now, or I'll do it for you." Mary said sternly, pointing Zack to his room.

"I'd listen to her Zack; you don't want her to have to do it. She will, and she will throw out anything she deems unimportant. I've heard she threw out half of the stuff in her brother's room one of the times she had to clean his room." Ryu said from her permanent spot on the couch. She had turned tail and cleaned her room at the first sign of Mary cleaning, before grabbing a book and heading to the couch to relax for the day.

"Angeal…" Zack whined, giving his mentor puppy eyes, hoping he would save him.

"Don't look at me like that. I've told you to clean that room multiple times." Angeal said, giving Zack a stern look.

"Fine." Zack said, as he trudged to his room. Angeal laughed softly and shook his head. Mary turned to Angeal next.

"Your room is pretty clean already, but I still want to go through and clean it a bit." She said, as she turned towards the living room. "Once I get this room all set, that is." Angeal gave her a confused look.

"I assure you, my room is clean enough. You don't need to clean it for me." Angeal replied. Mary stopped her advance toward the living room and turned back to Angeal.

"I don't care if you think it's clean. It is spring cleaning, so I am cleaning this whole place. And trust me, your greenhouse could use a little cleaning; there is dirt all over that place, and you keep dragging it into your living room. Your floor needs vacuuming. And I'm sure your windows could be cleaned as well." Mary said to him, not backing down on the issue. "Don't worry, you have plenty of time to hide anything, I won't go through your stuff, if that is what you're worried about." Mary added, as she turned back to the task at hand. Ryu giggled at her comment, as she turned to the last page of her book. "Sorry firecracker, time to clean this room. You'll probably want to relocate." Mary said to her.

"On the last page, give me a sec." She replied. Once she finished the page, she got up and returned the book to her room, and then walked back through the living room. "I'm going to go find Morgan. Don't go invading people's privacy." She said, as she closed the door behind her. Mary laughed.

"Do you plan on cleaning my room as well?" Sephiroth asked her, hoping she was not.

"No. You actually have good cleaning habits. Angeal is organized, but he doesn't do much for actual cleaning. And the other two are teenage boys, so I know I need to force them. The rest of you do a pretty good job. Well, Genesis doesn't do it himself, but it does get done." Mary replied.

"Good. I wouldn't want to have to hurt you." Sephiroth said, looking back down to his book. Mary shook her head.

"But you will have to move soon, I have to vacuum in here, and clean the tables." Sephiroth nodded his head, and got up to return to his room.

"Is it over yet? I'm hungry." He heard from Matti and Piper's room. He was pretty sure it was Matti who said it.

"Not yet. But she is in the living room now. You may be able to manage, if you are sneaky." He replied.

"Oh, I can be sneaky." Matti replied. Sephiroth heard Piper giggle, as he continued to his room.

Matti was in fact sneaky enough, as he managed to get some food for himself and Piper from the kitchen without being noticed by Mary. He went back to the room, and sat on the bed next to Piper. They had heard Mary cleaning when they first got up, and had decided that it must be spring cleaning time. They had figured the safest thing would be to clean their room, before Mary got a chance to do it. They had finished, but after hearing Mary tell the boys to clean their rooms, they decided it may be best to just stay in there to protect their room and themselves. Mary seemed to be in a good mood while cleaning, but they knew that it could change any minute, and they did not want to be around if it did.

"Mmm, animal crackers." Piper said, as she took out the cracker and bit the head off. Matti just shook his head at her antics, as he started devouring his own snack.

* * *

(Chapter 12)

Mary sat in her room, trying to make herself read the book Angeal had given her on War Strategies. It was absolutely boring, and she was having a hard time staying awake. She went to shift positions, and found that hurt butt was still really sore. "Ouch." She said out loud, while rubbing her tailbone.

"What did you do now?" Alanna asked from just outside the door.

"Well, I… I made Angeal fight back today, and it didn't end well." She said, trying to find a comfortable position to sit on the bed. "I ended up being thrown on my butt." She continued.

"Good job. Now what would possess you to try something so stupid?" She asked, mocking her friend.

"I didn't think it would work. I just got frustrated, as usual, and thought about yelling at him in my head, and it worked. Totally surprised me, and him too, I'm sure. But luckily he just knocked me on my ass, no real harm done." She answered.

"Well I can see your butt hurts, what about your head?" Alanna asked, they could control their counterparts, but it usually created a headache.

"Um, fine I guess; didn't really notice it." Mary answered, trying to think back to when it happened. "I think I was too surprised to feel anything. Didn't even notice the other pain until a few hours later."  
"Lucky. My head hurts like crazy after every time I try and make Genesis do anything. Maybe it's because he is so hard headed." She said, while turning to leave. Mary watched as Alanna left the room, and attempted to go back to her book. After a few more minutes, she finally gave up.

Instead of doing her reading, Mary decided to do some squats instead; a habit she had picked up from Zack. She enjoyed them, it was a good way to get rid of excess energy, and gave her time to think through things.

-_It didn't really hurt that badly_- She thought to herself. –_Maybe, if I was actually expecting it, I would have been able to stand my ground and fight back. If I did that, and didn't get hurt, maybe Angeal would be more likely to actually fight against me_-. She was still somewhat upset with Angeal, because he still refused to actually fight her.

Mary was pretty happy with her progress, but she felt like she could be doing much better. Angeal would put her through paces, and block against her, but he would never attack her. She did get practice with it though, through VR missions and fighting the other SOLDIER Turks. But she still felt like something was missing. Genesis would push Alanna in fights, and both Zack and Cloud would fight against Piper. Mary felt as though Angeal should be pushing her the same way, and he refused to.

She could understand where he was coming from, but she wasn't a fragile girl or a damsel in distress. She was a Turk training her way through the SOLDIER ranks. She needed to be pushed, and trained to fight. She felt it was obvious that she could be learning more, since it only took him a second to put her on her ass earlier that day.

In her mind, it was settled. She was going to try and make Angeal fight her again, but this time she would be prepared. She would show him that she could hold her own, and it would be okay for him to fight her, even if she was a girl. On top of being ready for the physical fight, she needed to be ready to make him fight her. She couldn't just force him with her mind again, he would get suspicious. They all wanted to be careful not make their other halves do anything too out of the ordinary, they would question it and they could lose the trust they had all been building. Mary had to think of a way to make Angeal fight her that he would believe.

Mary stopped in the middle of a squat, and decided she had had enough. She sat on the floor, and started doing some stretches. Then a thought came to her, she could fight like a Turk, and maybe with her mental push, he would forget who he was fighting. She could always chalk it up to practicing Turk fighting and it threw him off. It was not the best excuse, but it might work. Now she only had to figure out how to do that. After a few more stretches, she decided to keep it simple.

She got up, went to the mirror, and practiced her blank face. She had always learned to hide her emotions, but usually by putting up a mask of a more positive emotion. But when she was truly angry, she had a hard time putting on a happy face. Instead, she usually would put on a blank mask, and show no emotion at all. She had done it once to Alanna, and it had scared her beyond belief. Alanna was used to reading people; it was one of her skills. She hated when someone had no emotion on their face, it was very unnerving for her. After Mary had done it that one time, she had tried it a few times just to mess with Alanna. It worked once or twice, but she found it very hard to do, so Mary knew she would need to practice. She figured blanking out her face may make Angeal forget who she was, and if she combined that with fighting dirty like a Turk; his reflexes might kick in and weaken his mind. At least that was how she was going to explain it to him.

She practiced the look one more time, before heading back to the bed and picked the book back up. She decided to head out to the living room to try and read. She knew she wouldn't be able to read for long out there, she would get distracted, but she would appreciate the distraction. At least then she would have an excuse.

It was a few days after Mary had made her decision before she had a one-on-one with Angeal. She was okay with it though; it gave her more time to work on her plan, and gave her time to get over her bruised tailbone. They had started their session with an hour run, and another hour of push-ups and sit-ups and drills. Once that was done, they could finally get to the fighting. Mary took a few deep breaths, as she began the exercise of attacking Angeal as usual, and being blocked. She kept calm, and tried to act the same way she normally did, she did not want to give him any idea of her intentions.

"Good." Angeal said, as he blocked one of Mary's attacks. "Next time, use less force, and bring the sword a little higher." He instructed her. Mary nodded her head and tried again. "Better." Was all he said, even though he had still managed to block her easily.

Mary kept up the pace of attacks for about fifteen minutes, before she decided it was time to implement her plan. She looked down for a second, and then returned to eyes to Angeal, sporting her blank face. She could immediately see that it put him on edge. She then launched an attack on his side, and as he blocked it, she started moving around him, trying to stay out of his peripheral vision.

Angeal was starting to get nervous. He was not sure of what Mary was doing. She had looked at him with an emotionless face, and it set him on edge. He had never seen her like that. And now, she was running around avoiding his vision, trying to sneak attack him. He had never taught her to do that, it was something that would be learned later. He had always taught her head on attacks, and he was a little worried. He could not deduce why she would be acting this way. He blocked an attack to his left side, and then almost immediately saw something in his right peripheral vision. At the same time, he felt a tiny voice in his head scream 'FIGHT BACK'. Without hesitation, he did just that.

Mary continued attacking Angeal, with a blank face, and tried to stay out of his vision. She needed him to get anxious, and she could tell it was working on some level. She launched an attack on his left side, and moved her body to his right. She decided it was time, and mentally shouted at him to fight back, just as she had done the time before. Only this time, she was ready, or so she thought.

Angeal spun on her, and attacked with his own buster jr. Mary blocked the first swing, but with his second he sent her clear across the room. She hit the wall with her back with a loud thud, and her head followed with another loud thud. She slumped slightly to the floor, but looked up and stood as quickly as she could. Angeal was bearing down on her, still wielding his sword. She grabbed for hers, and blocked the first swing, slamming her left shoulder against the wall. Before she could register the pain, she put her arms up to block the next blow, and her right shoulder was slammed against the wall. She barely got her sword up in time to stop Angeal's blade for hitting her face, but now she was using all of her strength to keep it away.

The force Angeal was putting on the blade caused Mary to start to slide back towards the floor. She was slightly frightened, but tried to keep the emotionless mask on. If she wanted this to work, she had to prove that she could handle it, and so she resisted as long as she could. Once she was down on the floor, the blade was only an inch from her face. Mary pulled her legs under her, and was able to kick out her right leg and push Angeal off. Unfortunately, the motion forced her own blade to cut across her cheek, and it stung. She winced slightly, as she jumped up and readied herself for the next attack.

"Angeal." They both heard from the door to the training room, it was Genesis. "Sorry to interrupt, but Lazard wants to meet with us and Sephiroth. He sent me for you when you didn't answer your phone." He said calmly, though he could see the intensity in his friend, and was a bit worried.

"Of course. I will be right out." Angeal said, as he shook his head, snapping out of the state he was in. He suddenly turned to Mary, remembering what had just happened. She was standing in position, with her sword lifted, ready for another attack. When he looked at her, she slowly lowered her blade. "Are you alright?" He asked her simply, hoping he had not hurt her when he lost control.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She lied to him. She could already feel the pain in her back, and she was pretty sure her head was bleeding. She didn't want to lie to him, but she didn't want him to feel guilty about hurting her. He would blame himself, but in reality it was her fault, so her pain was her own problem. "See, told you I could handle myself." She added, as walked to the wall and hung up her sword. She made sure to walk as evenly as she could; trying not to let on the pain she was beginning to feel. She could tell her face was bleeding a little, so she mentally repeated over and over 'it's just a scratch, it's just a scratch' and hoped that Angeal would let it go.

"Yes. I guess you can. We will talk about it later." Angeal said, as he walked to the door to leave with Genesis. "Sorry to cut this short, but duty calls. Are you sure you are alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine. I'll see you at dinner." She said casually, as they both turned and walked away. Once they were out of sight, Mary groaned and put her hand to the back of her head, pulling it back to inspect it. Sure enough, she was bleeding. Mary placed her hand back on her head, and made her way to the elevator.

_-Sorry to cancel our training session, but Lazard has requested a meeting. You should check on Mary, she may be injured-_ Alanna read when she took out her PHS. She turned and got back into the elevator as she worked on a reply.

_-What do you mean? What happened to her?-_ She sent to Genesis.

_-I don't know exactly, but when I went to get Angeal, he had her against the wall. She said she was alright, but I saw the look in Angeal's eyes, he looked the way he does in battle.-_ He sent as a reply. He himself wasn't exactly sure what had happened. Alanna read the text as she exited the elevator and entered the apartment.

When Mary got out of the elevator, her head was spinning. She managed to make it into the apartment, and even to her own room. She took off her pauldrons and belt, and grabbed a towel, before placing it behind her head and sinking to the floor against the wall. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, she felt the pain everywhere.

Things hadn't gone exactly as planned. She wasn't expecting him to go quite that hard on her. But she was proud of herself; she had managed to survive the attack, though she was not in good shape now. Her head was bleeding, she felt like she had a concussion, and her face was bleeding slightly from the cut. Also, her back hurt and felt like it was bruised, as well as both of her shoulders. Luckily her legs felt just fine. She was beginning to feel drowsy, when she heard Alanna say her name while entering their room.

"Mary? Are you okay?" She asked, bending down to look at Mary.

"Head is bleeding, maybe a concussion. And my back is sore, probably bruised. I just need a shower and sleep." She said, but she remained seated.

"I don't think sleep is the best idea, especially if you have a concussion. Let me look at your head." Alanna said, as she took the towel from Mary's hand. Luckily, the bleeding had stopped, but it didn't look good, though most of it would wash away with a shower. Alanna looked down and could see the deep bruising already appearing on Mary's shoulders, under where there pauldrons had been. "Take off your shirt, I want to check your back, and then maybe you can take a shower." She said, as she started to lean Mary forward. Mary groaned, but grabbed the bottom of her shirt and slowly lifted it off.

"Ouch. My shoulders are gonna be sore tomorrow." She said, as she felt the pain radiating from her arms. She dropped her shirt on the floor and rested her hands on her lap, allowing Alanna to look at her back.

"Mary, I think we need to get you to the infirmary." Alanna said, as she looked at the deep bruising along Mary's back, along with some other disturbing features.

"Why? I'm fine. I know how to handle some blood and a concussion. I don't need to go to the infirmary. I don't want Angeal to get worried, and you know he will." She said. She really didn't want him to find out she was hurt, he would blame himself, and she didn't want that.

"Because you aren't fine. One of your floating ribs is pierced through the skin, and it looks like you may have slipped one of your lumbar disks. It looks gross back here, and I don't have enough experience to fix it." Alanna replied, reaching for Mary's shirt.

"What? I think I would know if I slipped a disk." Mary said, not believing what she was hearing.

"Not if you had adrenaline pumping through you, which you did. And with your pain tolerance, I'm not really surprised you can't feel it. Now sit still, I'm gonna call someone to come get you, you shouldn't be walking right now." Alanna said, as she slipped the shirt back over Mary's head, and picked up her phone.

After she made the call, she sat down next to Mary. "Now, let me guess, you did that stupid thing again?" She asked knowingly.

"Yeah, but I did much better this time. Though, I didn't expect him to throw me against the wall like that. It was my fault though, so please don't let Angeal know." Mary pleaded.

"I'm sorry. You need to go to the infirmary. But we will try to keep Angeal away, and tell him it's just the concussion. That won't make him feel so bad." She offered.

"Thanks. So how are we getting there?" Mary asked, at this point she wasn't sure if she would be able to walk, with all the adrenaline gone from her body.

"That would be us." Morgan said, as he and Matti walked into the room. "So how are we doing this?" He then asked.

"Well, she has a rib sticking out, and maybe a slipped disk, so very carefully. I was thinking maybe we should throw her over Matti's shoulder, but her hips would have to be on the shoulder, not her stomach, we can't round the back too much." Alanna said, looking between Matti and Mary.

"No way, not gonna happen." Mary said, and Matti nodded in agreement.

"Fine. Then you two kneel on each side." She said, as she pointed to the two boys. Then she looked at Mary, "And you put an arm around each of them." She directed. "Now, carefully get up and we can walk her down. Go slow though, there is no rush." She said pointedly at Matti. He was known for going all big brother and rushing people to the hospital. Once the boys stood up, Mary was easily carried out of the apartment, into the elevator, and down to the infirmary.

It didn't take long for Mary to be healed and released. She had in fact slipped a disc, but they were able to push it back, along with pushing back the rib before healing the skin around it. It had hurt a lot, but Mary was glad it was over now. They had even healed most of the bruises on her back and shoulder, along with the cut on her face and the back of her head. She was told to take it easy, and given some pain killers for her head. Alanna was given the job of waking her up every two hours to check for signs of trauma from the concussion. Mary was glad that Angeal was in a meeting during that time period, he was going to be furious when he found out.

"There you are, Mary. Angeal's been looking for you." Zack said, as the group entered the apartment. Mary sighed heavily, and plopped on the couch. She was exhausted.

"Where is he now?" She asked. She didn't want to deal with him, but she knew avoiding it would not make it any better.

"He went to check the training room I think. He seemed really worried; he had no idea where you would be." Zack replied.

"I'll call him and let him know I'm back." Mary said, as she pulled out her phone. She realized she had never turned it back on after training, and saw that there were multiple missed calls. She gulped as she dialed Angeal's number.

"Mary, are you alright? Where are you?" Angeal answered, he sounded worried.

"I'm fine. I'm back at the apartment. Sorry, I forgot to turn on my phone." She said simply, hoping that he would not yell at her through the phone, her head hurt enough as it was.

"I was worried. We'll be up in a minute." Angeal said, before hanging up.

"We?" Mary asked questioningly.

"Yeah, he was freaking out so Seph and Gen went with him to calm him down. Did something happen today, he seems really on edge." Zack asked.

"Just a little training accident, he is probably feeling guilty. But I'm fine, just a concussion." She lied again, she didn't want to upset or worry Zack either. With a worried look, Zack hoped over to Mary and gently hugged her. "It's okay puppy. Things happen." She said, petting his head.

"I know, but I don't want you to get hurt." Zack said, as he pulled away from Mary. Before he could continue, the door opened and the three SOLDIERs walked through. Mary closed her eyes and prepared for what she thought was about to happen. But to her surprise, there was no yelling, and no lecture as of yet. Angeal was just standing in the middle of the room, looking relieved. Sephiroth continued past Angeal, with Genesis following.

"I told you she was alright. You shouldn't be such a worry wart." Genesis said coolly as he passed.

"Can I talk to you in private please, Mary." Angeal said with a stern voice. Mary nodded and got up to follow Angeal. Her head still hurt and she felt it immediately after standing up.

"Oh crap, head rush." She said, as she reached for her head. Once she no longer felt dizzy, she followed Angeal to his room, where she knew she was going to be lectured. It had happened many times before, she knew what to expect. Anytime he used that voice and said he wanted to speak in private, you were in for a lecture. She followed him into his room and slumped down on his couch.

There were a few minutes of silence, which worried Mary. She had hoped he didn't feel too guilty, or too worried about what had happened, but seeing his face she knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Finally Angeal stopped pacing and looked at her.

"Why didn't you answer your phone? Do you know how worried we were?" He asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"I was in the infirmary. Don't worry; it's just a concussion, nothing to worry about. I must have forgotten to turn my phone back on after our training session. I'm sorry." She replied, looking down at her hands.

"I thought you said you were fine? A concussion does not make you fine. How could you hide this from me?" Angeal asked, his voice becoming a little louder.

"I am fine. Really, I've gotten many concussions before. I know I shouldn't have lied, but I didn't want you to feel bad." She admitted. "I'm sorry. But I want you to fight back, everyone else fights back, except for you. If you did it more often, I would be stronger and things like today wouldn't happen." Mary said, her voice also starting to get louder.

"Well I do feel bad. It is dishonorable for me to have acted that way with you earlier. I don't want to hurt you, and I did. That's why I don't fight you. I couldn't live with myself if I injured you." He said, a guilty tone finding its way into his voice.

"Angeal, please don't blame yourself. I'm a SOLDIER Turk; I'm bound to get injured from time to time. But as I get better and stronger, the chance of me getting hurt will decrease. And the best way for me to get stronger is for you to fight me. Really fight me, not just put me through the motions. Seriously Angeal, I'm not a damsel in distress, I can take a little pain every once in a while." Mary said, trying to make Angeal understand her side. Before he could answer, Angeal's phone rang, and he turned to answer it.

"Commander Hewley." He answered, and stood silently for a minute while the other person on the line talked. "Yes, thank you." He said, before hanging up. He turned to Mary. "So, you have a concussion. Is that the full extent of your injuries?" He asked.

"Yes. Well, my back hurts a little, and there was the cut, but you saw that before and it was very minor, so I didn't think to mention it." Mary replied. Angeal shook his head and let out a loud sigh.

"That was Tseng. He informed me of your trip to the infirmary. A slipped disk, protruding rib, and the other injuries as well. Why do you keep lying to me?" Angeal said, with a harsher tone. Mary's eyes widened and she sunk farther into the couch. She looked back down to her hands; she couldn't stand the disappointed look in his eyes. "These are serious injuries. You can't lie to me about these things. I need to know, and you need to be brought to the infirmary directly when these things happen. What would you have done if Alanna didn't find you when she did?" He said, raising his voice again.

"I'm sorry." She said finally. "I know it was stupid. But I didn't want you to feel guilty that you hurt me. It wasn't your fault and I know you would blame yourself. And I didn't know it was that bad until Alanna got there, I really couldn't feel the rib or the disk. I'm sorry." She explained. Angeal shook his head again, before he turned around.

"I think you should train with Cloud for a few days." He said quietly.

"Angeal, I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault, please don't blame yourself. I trust you; I know you won't hurt me, not again. It was my fault, I'm sorry." She pleaded with him.

"How is it your fault? I'm the one who lost control, and…" He paused. Mary jumped in the interrupt him.

"I manipulated you to make you attack me. I thought if I could get you to fight back, and hold my own, that you would be more willing to do it more often." She answered.

"You manipulated me? And you lied to me, multiple times. What happened to being honorable and honest? I know you are a Turk, but you are also a SOLDIER, and I expect better of you. I can't believe that you would behave this way." Angeal said, and Mary could hear the disappointment in his voice. "You should train with Cloud for a few days. You need to heal, and you should take some time to work on your materia."He said, as he began to walk to the door. "And no sword training. I am revoking your VR privileges until I feel as though I can trust you again. I'm going to go start dinner; you need to get some rest." He said as he left.

Mary sat there for a few more minutes. She felt horrible for lying to Angeal, especially since the plan didn't work. She also was upset that she wouldn't be able to pick up a sword for a few days, and wouldn't be allowed in the VR room. She let out a sigh and then got off the couch, and made her way to the living room. She found Alanna on the couch, and laid her head on her lap. Alanna ran her hands through Mary's hair as she started to fall asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Side stories from chapters 14 to 18. This will be the last set of stories from me until more goes up from the original story, or else it will be extremely confusing. Some of it is just random fluff, because I needed to add more in a period of time where nothing extremely interesting felt like it needed to be written. Mostly character history for Mary. Some really fun stuff coming up though, but again, will have to wait until the original gets updated. As always doppelgangers needs to be read** first. **Let me know what you think, and give any ideas that you may have, they would be appreciated.

Disclaimer: FF7 is 100% owned by Square Enix

* * *

(Chapter 14)

Snow was gently falling, creating a very pretty sight, but also covering up any signs of evidence. Mary was skiing around between Icicle Inn and Bone Village. It was her first solo mission, and if she did well, Angeal might promote her to 2nd class. Mary was excited about that, and was glad her mission involved skiing.

It had been a few years since Mary was able to ski, but luckily she picked it back up quickly. She was suddenly very glad that her coach had made her do a lot of skiing without poles. She had decided that wielding her sword would be difficult if she had poles in her hands, so she went without them. It had surprised the person who gave her the skis, but she assured the man that she was skilled enough to ski without them.

Mary was skiing around. She didn't know what monster she was looking for, or even where to find it. So, she was just skiing around, checking different sections that had been mapped out. As she looked over the hills around her, she couldn't help but remember her high school experiences with skiing.

Ski team had been the thing that changed her life. She had always been athletic, but when she transferred schools she stopped playing sports, and discovered music. As she went through middle school and began high school, she focused on grades and music, and also gained weight and lost her athleticism. Skiing was what got her back into relatively good shape. It took two seasons for Mary to become competitive in the sport, but during those two years she made many friends and also started doing other sports; cross country running and track & field.

As Mary remembered some of the times she had skiing, she couldn't help but compare her coach to Angeal. They were both intimidating, but kind, and both knew how to push her to her limit. There were many times, once her coach saw her potential as a skier, that he would force her to do things that she hated, and it had improved her skiing tremendously. He always knew what she could handle, even when she didn't. Angeal was the same way. He would push her farther than she thought she could go, and it would improve her skills, even though she hated it at the time.

Luckily, there was one major difference between Angeal and her ski coach. Angeal never pushed Mary when it came to her emotions. There were multiple times that her coach had tried to get her to cry. At the time, the main thing holding Mary back in competition was her mind and her emotions. Because of this, he was always trying to break through her walls and make her let go, which was really hard for her to do. He had managed to do it once, and Mary avoided him for days.

She remembered that day quite vividly. The team had decided to do a breathing exercise instead of normal practice, because it was raining and there was no snow to ski on. During the exercise, her coach kept going around talking to each of the skiers, trying to get to their emotions. Mary remembered hating every time he came over, because he knew just what to say to make her want to cry. He wasn't being mean or cruel, he would just bring up the things that were bothering people the most. She could remember each time he went to her best friend, who was lying on the floor next to her. Mary could practically feel the anger radiating off of her friend; neither one of them liked to cry in public and so they got angry every time the coach came to talk to them. Mary had managed to make it through the session without crying, but when she went to sit up, her back spasmed and she fell over and hit her head on a chair. With her weakened emotional state, she started crying, and knowing that her whole team was watching only made her cry more. Her coach came over and urged her to keep crying, and though she wanted to stop, she just kept going. She was glad that her team knew her well, and had all left when she began. She eventually got control of herself, and was able to join the team for the rest of practice.

Mary avoided her coach for a few days after that. Deep down, she knew he was only doing it for her own good, but she hated him for making her cry. She didn't want him to try to push her again, so she did everything that she could to avoid him. But she had to admit, she was a better competitor after that, so she didn't hold a grudge for too long.

She was still glad that Angeal never pushed her emotionally. She didn't know if she could take it, since it took so much control to be around him as it was. She was attracted to him from the beginning, and she admired his personality, but she had started to become attached to him through their training and time together. She knew that she wanted him, and she was starting to get the idea that he wanted her too. Her friends had been telling her that for some time, but she didn't fully believe them. She wanted to, and she wanted to think that she stood a chance, but at the same time she didn't want to end up disappointed, as she had many times before. A sad and lonely feeling started to creep into her mind, and so she shook her head. She had barely noticed how far she had skied, and the time that was passing. It was almost dark, and she was only a few hundred feet from the Inn.

* * *

(Chapter 14)

Mary yawned and made her way to her room when the movie was finished. She was happy that all of her friends had been there to celebrate her birthday with her. She wasn't sure why, but she was always surprised when people would actually remember her birthday. It was probably because she had only had a few parties growing up, and never had a party with her friends, only small gatherings with her family. She had always felt a little left out as a child, never being able to have friends over. She had gone through sections of time when her family had been homeless or living in someone's spare room. Also, her mother was a smoker, and so when they did have a home, it usually had a thick atmosphere of smoke that Mary knew her friends could not stand to be in.

Mary shook her head, trying to rid herself of the negative memories that were coming back to her. She instead thought of the gifts her friends had given her, and how happy she was that they were all there to celebrate with her. She crawled into her bed, and fell asleep within minutes, after rolling around a few times to find a comfortable spot on the bed.

Mary didn't know where she was, but she could recognize the scent of cigarette smoke and alcohol. When she opened the door in front of her, she heard loud music and coughed as the smoke became thicker. She looked around, and saw a lot of unfamiliar faces, drunk unfamiliar faces. She started to wonder why she was there, until she heard a very distinctive laugh. She turned to her right and was able to spot her mother. Her mother was always easy to find, she was loud and could be very annoying at times. Mary shook her head as she remembered all the times her mother had walked off while shopping at a store, but was easily found when she laughed, even if she was on the other end of the building.

Mary stayed put, watching to see what her mother would do. She figured that she could see the people around her, but they could not see her. Ryu had told them about seeing her family on her birthday, and Mary figured it was the same thing that she was experiencing now. She watched as her mother lifted a shot glass and toasted her for her birthday. Mary would have been flattered, except that it appeared her mother was already drunk, and was showing no signs of slowing down. She hated her mother's bad habits, and had tried to get them under control for years; especially drinking. She knew her mother would go too far, and still try to drive home. No matter how many times Mary lectured her about it she would continue to do it. Mary felt like the adult and her mother was the teenage ever since she had become a teen.

Mary turned around and opened the door she had come out of; she had seen enough. When she walked through the door, she was met with an even more disgusting smell. She was now in her house, where her brother was sitting with his buddies smoking a joint and drinking. Mary brought her hand to her nose. Even though she had grown up with her mom doing it, and then her brother, she never got used to the smell. She didn't stay long, after listening to her brother and his friends talk for a few minutes she started to feel bad his generation, and left the room. She never understood most of the things her younger brother was into, even though he was the 'normal' teenage boy. Mary was never 'normal' and didn't fall to the pressures that most teens did. Also, her friends were of a completely different group than her brothers, and she just did not understand them.

Mary's chest tightened and a sharp pain started radiating through her palms when she looked to the next scene she walked in on. She was in her grandparent's living room, and they were in the kitchen. She recognized most of the items of the table immediately. There were pictures of her from when she was younger, clippings from newspapers about her, and the letter she hand wrote for Christmas during her freshman year of college. She had always been close to her grandparents, and spent most of her time growing up with them. She attributed her positive personality traits to them, and she knew she could always count on them, even when she couldn't count on her mother.

Mary fought back tears as she realized that she hadn't thought about them in a few months. She was glad to see her grandfather looking well. He wasn't attached to an oxygen tank like he had been all summer, so Mary hoped that his lung condition was getting better. Mary started to make her way towards the kitchen to hug her grandparents, when she felt a sharp jerk, and she woke up in her cold, dark room. She took a few deep breaths before deciding that she wanted to go to the balcony to sort through her thoughts.

Mary started to fall asleep on the balcony, enjoying the warmth radiating from Angeal. Her peacefulness was interrupted by Angeal shaking her lightly. "You can't sleep out here. You should go back to bed now that you are tired. I'm sure you will want to be up early as usual tomorrow." Angeal said softly, while standing and offering his hand to Mary. She smiled as she allowed herself to be pulled up and they left the balcony together.

When they passed the kitchen, Mary took both of the mugs and put them into the sink. "Goodnight." She mumbled, as she made her way to her room. She barely made it to her bed, where she collapsed and curled up into her blankets. Without Angeal next to her, it was cold again. She was never one to be warm; she was just more tolerant of cold than others. It was partially because she was a cold person that she was more okay with low temperatures. It made sleeping a bit more difficult for her though, since she didn't produce enough body head to keep the bed warm. Mary shivered a little and pulled her crocheted blanket up around her arms. She laughed softly as she realized that her being cold was one of the reasons why she could get up easily in the morning. Since she didn't produce body heat, her bed wasn't warm in the morning, and so it was not a problem for her to get up.

As Mary started to fall asleep, she thought about what Angeal had said, and it made her start to hope. She was happy with the way things were, but she knew that they could be even better, if she got the things she was hoping for. Mary fell asleep with the thought of Angeal's arm around her shoulder.

* * *

(Chapter 15)

Mary eyed herself in the mirror. She was rather fond of her new blue uniform. She had been okay with the purple, but blue was much more her color; it made her blue eyes even brighter. She smiled, as she remembered hugging Angeal when he gave it to her. She had hugged him before, and they were getting closer, but the hug was still special to her, and it made her very happy. She was also glad that Angeal finally promoted her.

Mary had been jealous and a little annoyed when Genesis had promoted Alanna before her. Mary was pretty competitive, and she didn't like Alanna beating her. She chalked some of it up to Angeal being more worried and protective than Genesis. Gen had sent Alanna out on her mission for promotion well before Angeal had sent her on her own mission. Mary took some satisfaction in knowing that she had still beaten Piper though.

When Mary had enough of looking at herself in the mirror, she pulled her hair into the low ponytail she was used to doting, and put on her harness, belts, and pauldrons. Mary grabbed her bracer and her new materia as she left the room to meet up with Cloud and Piper for training. She ran into both of them in the living room.

"You ready to go?" Cloud asked, as he got up from the couch.

"Yup."

"Hey, you got a new uniform. Congratulations." Piper said, as she noticed the color change.

"Thanks. It was about time, in my opinion." Mary replied, giggling when she finished. She was gaining more confidence every day, but she still tried to not let it turn to arrogance.

"So what materia do you want to work on today?" Cloud asked, as the elevator started to go down to the training room. "You have both just about mastered cure. Mary, you have mastered blizzard, is there anything else you are interested in?"

"I don't really care about the others, but I should probably learn how to use this slow that Tseng gave me." Mary replied, ignoring the slight blush that covered Cloud's cheeks.

"Sounds like a plan." He managed to reply, looking away from both girls. "Piper, what would you like to work on?"

"I would like to get better at paralysis, if that's okay."

"Oh great, so I get to be paralyzed. Goody." Mary said, she was not much a fan of the paralyze materia. She didn't like not being in control of her body, so being paralyzed really freaked her out every time it happened in the VR room. Piper turned and clung to Mary, wiggling her head back and forth in Mary's arm. "Puppy, stop it. That hurts." Mary scolded her. Piper made some incoherent comments and pushed her nose farther into Mary's arm. She released her victim when the elevator doors opened.

After the training session, the three made their way back to the apartment. It wasn't long after Mary and Piper had changed out of uniform that Alanna joined them, with Genesis right behind her.

"I hear Angeal finally promoted you, congratulations." Genesis said.

"Thanks." Mary replied. "What, no quote to go along with that?" She added.

"Well, if that is what you want." Genesis started.

"NO." All four of the others in the room said. Genesis shook his head and picked up his book, and read quietly to himself.

The next day, the three SOLDIER turks sat on the couch, waiting to be brought to the labs for their mako baths. Alanna and Mary were both nervous, as 2nds they would both be getting a higher dose of mako this time. Mary had been relatively fine with the lower dosed baths, but was worried that she would get cranky with the higher dose. She knew she could have a temper at times, and was worried at what she might say to anyone who annoyed her. Alanna was not worried as much, because each time they got their baths Morgan would make adjustments and improvements to her straight jacket. It had started out as a sweatshirt, but it was now almost a legitimate jacket, and she actually enjoyed being in it.

"You ready to go?" Zack asked, as he bounced into the room.

"As ready as we'll ever be." Mary replied.

"Since you two are getting a higher dose, we will stay with you the whole time; to make sure nothing bad happens." Angeal said in the elevator, trying to calm Mary's nerves. He had spent enough time with Mary to be able to read her emotions fairly well. He also felt much closer to her since her birthday. Even though he could tell that that night had bothered her, he felt as though it was an important step for her. He didn't know many of the things that she had told him, and he didn't know that she could be so emotional, and it surprised him. He had always been able to pick up on her nerves and anxiety, but he had never seen her sad or angry like that before.

"That would be nice." Alanna said, leaning on Genesis. They had also gotten much closer in the past few months. Genesis smiled and put his hand on Alanna's back. Piper and Zack traded a funny look, silently going over the conversation they had in their training session that morning. Piper shook her head and wrapped her arms around Zack, squeezing him quickly and then letting go. Though she was a very cuddly person, Piper knew that Matti was a little wary of Zack, so she tried to limit how much she cuddled with him.

The three girls took a deep breath together as they entered the labs. It didn't take long for the baths, and they were back in the elevator to the apartment within hours. All three of the girls were barely conscious, and depending on their mentors to hold them upright. When they entered the apartment, Morgan and Ryu got up and helped Alanna get into her straight jacket.

"Tighter." Alanna whined as Morgan undid the strap and tightened it even more. He had taken a bit of a sick joy in finding better way to subdue Alanna during her mako reactions.

Angeal walked Mary over to the loveseat she usually sat in and set her down gently. He grabbed the blanket that had been set on the couch for her, and slowly draped it over her as she started to fall asleep. Zack handed Piper over to Matti, who sat on the couch, enjoying the time to cuddle with his girlfriend. Genesis grabbed his copy of LOVELESS and sat next to Alanna on the couch.

"Would you like me to read to you?" He offered sweetly. Alanna nodded her head furiously as she started pulling at her restraints.

"One word from that book and it's going up your ass." Mary warned sternly. Genesis looked up, shocked that Mary would say something so rude in front of Angeal. He was used to bickering with her, but it was never quite like that, and he quickly gathered that she would never act that way with him with his best friend around.

"Uh oh. Looks like she's getting mako pms." Matti said, moving himself and Piper lower on the couch, trying to find a way to protect himself.

"Angeal, could you take her to her room please?" Ryu asked him, and saw the confused look on his face. "She is only going to get worse. She can be pretty mean when she has pms. She always feels bad and apologizes after, but it doesn't make her comments hurt any less. She has made us cry before." She explained.

Before Angeal could get up to move Mary, she got up on her own and glared at Ryu. While she was distracted, Alanna got up and started chasing Mary, quoting LOVELESS. Mary started making her way towards her room, with 'Lanna pushing against her. Mary laughed as she quickly moved to the side, causing her friend to fall face first into the floor.

"Ooowwww." Alanna whined. "That hurt. I can't catch myself."

"You deserved it. You were being annoying." Mary pointed out, as she entered her room and closed the door. She was alright with being forced into her own room. She would usually lock herself away from her friends when she started getting grouchy. Her grouchiness was only a problem when she couldn't avoid people, like when she would have to sit in class instead of hiding away.

Alanna squirmed on the floor, and after a minute, was able to get herself back to standing. She made her way back to the couch and plopped down next to Genesis. She squirmed in her jacket for a few minutes before stopping and pouting. Gen smiled as he took in how cute she was when she was pouty.

"Where did Mary go?" Zack asked, when he returned from the kitchen. He had managed to miss the incident.

"She was sent to her room. She was being mean." Morgan answered him, from his spot on the top of the couch.

"That doesn't sound like Mary." Zack commented.

"Trust me, when she had PMS, she can be mean. I'm sure you'll experience it someday." Ryu said.

"It would be best to avoid it at all costs. Hiding usually works for me." Matti chimed in. Zack turned his head in a confused puppy way, and then shrugged his shoulders and pulled out a game to play with Cloud.

* * *

(Chapter 15)

Mary sat in her room, cutting strands of yarn. She had gone to the craft store on her day off and bought a skein of each of the colors that they had. She had a very large pile of yarn sitting on her bed. She was cutting long strands and tying them to a section of gridding. She had decided that she wanted to make blankets for everyone, now that they were all friends. She could guess the colors to make, but Mary would prefer to have each person choose their own colors so that she couldn't get blamed for bad color choices. When she was finished, she had twenty-some odd colored strands, and she set out with a notepad to question her friends.

Alanna was the first person she ran into. "Pick three colors." She said, putting the grid up in front of Alanna.

"Okay. This green, that purple and the lighter green." Alanna replied, without having to ask what it was for. She knew that Mary would want to make blankets soon, so she assumed that is what they were for. Mary scribbled the colors down on her sheet and then turned to find her next suspect.

"Thanks." Mary suddenly turned and thanked her friend. She was turned just long enough to almost run straight into Genesis.

"Sorry, Gen. I didn't see you there." She apologized. "Pick three colors." She said again, holding up the grid once again.

"For what?" Genesis questioned.

"Just choose three colors that you like that will match. You'll see eventually."

"How can I choose correct colors if I don't know what it will be?"

"Choose three colors or I will choose them for you. You like bright green right?" She teased him.

"Fine. I'll choose. Let me see that." He said, as he snatched the grid from Mary's hand. It seemed like a half an hour before he finally chose his colors and returned the yarn to Mary. Again, she wrote down the response and turned to find another person to question. –_This could be a long day._ – She thought to herself.

"Hey Mary! What's with all the yarn?" Zack asked, as he ran to pull Mary in a hug.

"I need you to choose three colors please." She said, without explaining why.

"Okay. This blue, and the green, and I don't know, how about that purple; that could be fun." Zack answered. Mary wasn't surprised with the first two, but the purple surprised her a little.

"Thank you. And what about you Cloud?" She asked, as she made her way to the couch.

"I don't care." He said shyly.

"Don't even start Cloud, just choose three colors please. Don't make me force you." She said sternly.

"Um. I guess black, silver, and how about this light blue?" He almost asked instead of answered.

"If that is what you want. Thanks guys, see you later." She said as she bounded off the couch in search of the others.

It was two hours before she was finally able to find everyone, and get their color choices. Most of the choices were exactly what she had expected. Both the SOLDIERs and the Turks heavily favored black. It had been a bit difficult to get both Tseng and Rude to choose a third color, both immediately choosing black and white. By the time she was done, she was incredible sick of saying 'choose three colors'.

Mary rode the elevator to return to the apartment. She was starting to get hungry, so she really hoped that Angeal had already started dinner. She was pleased when she could smell the meat cooking when she walked past the kitchen and returned to her room. She put the strands of yarn on top of the massive pile, and put the notebook on her night stand. Now that she had the colors, she would have to come up with a design and order for the colors for each person, and then she would be able to start her projects.

After dinner, Mary sat in the living room with her tablet putting the designs for each person into a nice document that she could easily reference. She had decided on a basic pattern that she would keep the same for everyone. She still had to decide the order of the colors, but she had a base for the blankets saved, so all she had to do was order the colors in a way that she felt would match each person's personality.

"Whatcha working on?" Zack asked as he plopped on the couch beside her. Mary pulled her tablet to her chest so that Zack could not see the screen.

"None of your business." She replied, sticking her tongue out. Zack gave her a kicked puppy look and pushed his lower lip out in a pout. "I'm not going to tell you." Mary said.

"Does this have to do with the yarn you were questioning us about earlier?" Sephiroth asked from his chair in the corner.

"Yes, it does. And no, I'm not going to tell you what it is." Mary replied, pulling her tablet even closer to her chest. To be safe, she pushed the lock on her tablet so that if it was taken from her, no one would be able to get into it, at least not in the time it would take her to get it back. Being a Turk had made her quite a bit more cautious than she had ever been before. It didn't help that she was surrounded by Turks and SOLDIERs, and she knew that they could be fast, sneaky, and powerful if they wanted to be.

"Just let it go guys. You will find out eventually, but I'm sure she would like it to be a surprise." Ryu piped up, not wanting them to ruin their surprise. She didn't know explicitly was Mary was planning, but she was pretty sure she had guessed correctly when Mary asked her to choose her colors. Mary sent Ryu a grateful smile.

Later that night, Mary sat in her room, coloring and re-coloring the designs. It was nearly two in the morning when she was finally finished and satisfied. It had taken her a whole hour just to set create the colors that would match the color of the yarns. She looked at the clock and panicked slightly; she had not been aware of time passing. She quickly put away her tablet and readied herself for bed. She adjusted the alarm on her phone to allow herself an extra hour of sleep, and then curled up in her bed.

* * *

(Chapter 16 and Chapter 17)

Mary stood in the kitchen cutting vegetables to help Angeal with dinner. It was oddly quiet, and Mary was beginning to wonder if he was upset about something. She had been away on a Turk mission, so she didn't know how the cadet training had gone for Angeal and the others. Once she was done cutting, she turned to Angeal to find out what was bothering him.

"Are you alright Angeal, you seem upset about something." She asked him. Angeal shook his head, and looked to be in thought for a minute.

"Am I overprotective?" He finally asked her.

"Um… Why do you ask?" Mary replied, not wanting to answer too quickly, she didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"There was an incident with the cadet training. Ryu and Alanna were involved; they distracted the cadet's by dressing, well, rather inappropriately. When I confronted them about it, Ryu said that I should stop trying to protect you girls; that you can take care of yourselves." He tried to explain to her. He was having a hard time articulating his thoughts. Ryu hadn't actually called him overprotective, but the short lecture left him with that feeling.

Mary couldn't help but laugh quietly at the thought of Ryu lecturing Angeal. She shook her head before answering. "You can be a bit overprotective. I mean, we already went over this before, kinda. You still look at us as girls who need to be protected, but we aren't." Mary started. "We are adults, and we can take care of ourselves; and if we do need help, we will ask for it."

"I'm sorry, if I do that to you." Angeal said, as he started to realize that what both girls had said may be true.

"It's okay, doesn't bother me too much; except when you wouldn't fight me before, that was annoying." Mary said with a smile. "It's actually kinda nice. I never had anyone who was protective of me growing up." Angeal gave her a questioning look, honestly hoping that she would elaborate. "Fathers are usually the ones to be overprotective, and since I never had one, I got off easy in that case. Though my senior year, I did have an overprotective adopted family."

"You had an adopted family? I thought you lived with your mother?" Angeal asked, feeling it was safer to ask about that than her father, she had seemed very upset about that on her birthday.

"I wasn't really adopted; it was more that I spent most of my time with my best friend. I spent so many nights at their house that they pretty much adopted me. They were also at all the sporting events and team dinners, so they would be my family for those things, since my mom would never go. It made it much easier, since the coaches liked to have each person stand up and introduce their families. I felt much less left out when I had someone to introduce." Mary explained, as she set to washing the next set of vegetables. "They could be overprotective at times. It was usually funny. Before a dance I would go downstairs in my dress and they would say 'isn't that a bit low cut?', even though it was a dress my mother bought for me. They also gave me rules and curfews, which was new to me."

"You didn't have rules in your own family?"

"I had one rule and one rule only. Don't get pregnant." Mary answered confidently, causing Angeal's eyes to widen. "I was never told to get good grades, or not drink, or not smoke. I wasn't even told to not have sex, or given a time to come home at night. In a way I was lucky, everyone else always complained about having rules. But, I always felt like it was because they didn't care quite as much as everyone else's parents." Mary said sadly. "I liked having overprotective adopted parents; they made me feel like someone actually cared about me."

They both stood in silence for a few minutes, letting the sad atmosphere fade away. "What about your grandparents? Were they protective?" Angeal asked, hoping that he could lift Mary's mood a little, remembering how fond she seemed to be of her grandparents.

"They set more rules, but they were still pretty lax. I always had the freedom to go wherever I wanted and do whatever I wanted. It's one of the reasons why I am so independent." Mary replied, the smile returning to her face. "I was known to just walk off into the woods somewhere, and climb trees or something until I got bored. Since I never got injured, my family just let it happen. They learned that they didn't have to worry about me."

"You really do talk a lot when you want to, huh?" Angeal asked, chuckling softly.

"Yeah, I do. I've talked off many people's ears." She replied with a shrug. It was not a new concept for her. "If I ever get annoying, just tell me to shut up." She added.

"It's alright, I like to hear your stories." Angeal replied.

"No story is not worth hearing." Mary said quietly. Angeal raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. He had told that to Zack before, but he couldn't remember telling it to Mary. Mary noticed the confused look and giggled. "It's something you said in the story." She explained.

"Oh. And what was the story I told, in the story?" He asked her.

"Just the story of you being a thief, stealing dumbapples in Banora." She teased him.

"I was poor at the time." Angeal started to defend himself.

"I know, and I get it. I was poor too when I grew up. It's one of the reasons why we are similar, other than me being a brute."

"That and you are honest and honorable." Angeal added, causing Mary to smile widely. Angeal paused, seeming to remember what had started their conversation in the first place. "I'm glad you were not involved in the mission this morning." He said softly. Mary froze, unsure of how to respond. There was a minute of silence before Mary answered.

"Then I'm glad that I was busy." She said, hoping that it would be the end of the conversation.

"If you weren't on a mission, would you have joined them?" Angeal asked cautiously.

"Um… well… if it was for a good reason, yes." Mary looked down at the counter to avoid the shocked look on Angeal's face. "Angeal, I don't necessarily have all the same ideals as you do. But, I try to respect your views, because I know you take them seriously." Mary began to explain. "I respect you, and I look up to you, but in the end I have to be my own person. All of us do. You can share your ideas with us, but you have to acknowledge that we will not always agree with you."

"That seems fair." Angeal replied, while starting at the pot in front of him. He didn't like the idea of his students not having the same ideals as him. He always tried very hard to instill good values in them, which is why he lectured them all the time.

"What's for dinner?" Zack asked as he bounded into the kitchen. Mary took the opportunity to escape the conversation by jumping on Zack. After she released Zack from the hug, she began tickling him and they both left for the living room.

Angeal shook his head at his student's antics, as he went back to work on the food.

The next morning, Mary sat on her bed, tying her boots, when she heard Alanna struggling in her room. Curious, Mary got up and went to her room, and slowly opened the door.

"Are you alright in here?" Mary began, until she saw 'Lanna attempting to squeeze into her corset. "Need help?" She asked.

"That would be greatly appreciated." 'Lanna said, sounding out of breath. She had worn the corset a few times, but it never became more comfortable.

"Are you going on a mission today?" Mary asked her friend.

"Nope."

"Then why are you wearing your corset?" She asked.

"To prove a point to Gen." Alanna responded, as Mary got the last clip done.

"And what point would that be? That you are a masochist?" Mary said sarcastically. Alanna turned around and gave Mary an unimpressed look. "I was just kidding, jeez. Let me know when you need help getting out of it later." Mary said, as she turned to leave the room. "Oh, and thank you for not involving me in that mission."

"No problem. We figured you weren't girly enough to distract the cadet's anyway." Alanna said, as she stuck her tongue out at Mary. Mary stopped to glare at her friend, before she shook her head and returned to her room to finish putting on her uniform.

* * *

(Chapter 17)

"Why is it so cold in here?" Mary whined, as she curled up in her blanket on the couch. Genesis looked over at her curiously.

"How are you cold? It is summer, and 95 degrees outside." He asked her. "I thought you were the one who liked the cold." He added.

"I like natural temperatures. This is air conditioned cold, so I don't like it. Just like I don't like heater heat that much in the winter." Mary replied, momentarily poking her head out of the blanket.

"You are a strange being." Gen said, as he went back to reading his book.

"Better a strange being than an ass." Mary mumbled under her blanket.

"What was that?" He said, putting his book back down temporarily.

"You heard me, pretty boy." She replied, pulling the blanket down over her head. She really couldn't stand fake temperatures. She hated that the building was very temperature controlled, because it made her uncomfortable most of the time. She peeked out from the spaces in her blanket to see the slightly annoyed look on Gen's face. Mary really enjoyed picking on Genesis, though it had become friendlier than it had been originally. Even though he could still be an extremely arrogant ass, she did like hanging out with him. She enjoyed hanging out with everyone, and she was glad that they were all able to be friends.

* * *

(Chapter 17)

"Something smells good. What are we having?" Matti said as he walked into the kitchen. "I'm starving." Matti added.

"Yeah, you totally look it." Mary teased him. "And we are having your favorite, to celebrate your homecoming."

"What are you saying?" Matti replied, trying to sound offended.

"Nothing, just pointing out that you aren't actually starving. You look quite well fed, unlike Tseng. Now he looks like he is starving." Mary said right as the Turk walked into the room. He leveled her with a hard stare, causing Mary to look down at the floor.

"She has a point; you are a bit thick to be my double." Tseng said to his doppelganger. "Maybe we should work on that. You should try to eat less."

"I don't think so. How about you eat more?" Matti retorted. There was no way he was giving up his food. Tseng smirked at the response. He enjoyed that his doppelganger was so stubborn when he wanted to be.

"Maybe it isn't a matter of eating, though you could eat a few more vegetables. You should try running more." Mary offered. Matti looked back at Tseng, trying to force his boss to drop it.

"That is an idea. I would run you more, but my schedule is very busy. I hear Mary runs in the mornings, maybe you should join her." Tseng said.

"Yeah, uh no. I've run with her before, not gonna happen again. Not when she has more mako than me." Matti replied, starting to get agitated. "And, she runs at like, 0500. I am not getting up that early to run." He said, leveling a hard glare at Tseng. Tseng was impressed with the intensity in Matti stare, and decided to give in, and let the matter go, since he had just returned from a few months in Wutai.

"Wuss." Mary said to Matti, as she walked over to him and gave him a quick hug. She laughed when she pulled away and saw the horrified look on his face. "What? I missed you. Piper has been far too cuddly for my liking while you were away."

"Somehow, I missed you guys too. But please, no more hugs. It is just weird." He said.

"Okay, only hug you when I want to annoy you; got it." Mary said, as she left the kitchen.

"How did I not see that coming?" Matti mumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

* * *

Let me know what you think. And if you want more soon, go to doppelganger's and comment to get 'lanna to put up more chapters, since that is what she is in charge of!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: A few in between stuff for chapters 19 and 20. A little bit of action, but that isn't my forte. Some vincent/sephy fluff, or my attempt at it,I feel like the whole thing we be awkward, so I just wrote it like it would be awkward. And someone's coming out! As always, read the other story first, these two chapters were posted earlier today. Comment and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: FF7 belongs entirely to Square Enix

* * *

The doppelgangers all sat in their room, trying to come up with a plan. They were going to be part of a battle, between themselves, the SOLDIERs and the Turks. At first it seemed like they were hopeless, being less experienced than both groups, but now they believed if they made a plan and worked together they may stand a chance. And to help their cases, the Turks and SOLDIERs would be more worried about each other, thinking that the doppelgangers were not much of a threat. They were talking through their plan, trying to anticipate what each group would do and figure out how to counteract it.

Mary sat on the floor, listening to what Alanna and Ryu were saying. They were going through what was most likely going to happen. When they were done, Matti got up and started working on the plan. Ryu and Alanna were more knowledgeable about the games, and they went to them for information, but Matti was their bossman, they went to him for orders. Before he began giving out orders, Mary raised her hand.

"Yes Mary?" Matti said calmly, a little confused as to why she was raising her hand, since they were no longer in school.

"Could I not be assigned to kill anyone? I get really caught up in the VR room, and I don't think I could kill any of them. They are my friends, even Genesis, and I don't know if I could do it." Mary tried to explain, without sounding pathetic.

"I bet you could kill all of them if you still had PMS."Ryu muttered.

"I'm sorry. I really can't control the bitch when I have PMS." Mary replied. Matti cleared his throat, and Mary closed her mouth and looked down at her hands.

"That is fine. You can be mainly surveillance and muscle. I think we should save Angeal for last, so you can be in charge of keeping him out of the way. You can also monitor where everyone is, and hopefully move the opponents once they are down." Matti explained.

"Thanks." Mary said simply. With that, Matti continued with the plan.  
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Once the VR room challenge began, the group all headed to a main tower, where they had set up a screen. This was also where they would bring each of the fallen competitors, if their plan worked. Once orders were given, each headed in their directions. Mary started running through the city, in search of Angeal. It wasn't very hard to find him, she could sense where he was, and she could see from very far away.

She had always been blind before the mako treatment, and so she learned how to see certain details that most people did not notice. Because of this, now that her vision was fixed, she could see farther than most. It also helped that she had done some surveillance training, and so she was in charge of keeping an eye on Angeal, and also Vincent and Sephiroth. They still did not have a plan for the general and the undead Turk, so they needed to be careful and see how things turned out.

When Mary caught up to Angeal, she followed him from a distance, and kept a look out for the others.

"I got Genesis and Chloe on a rooftop, overlooking Angeal." Mary heard through the earpiece.

"Go for it." Matti replied. Mary looked up, and saw the three people on the tower, and started working her way to the back of the building to get to the top unnoticed; she would have to help Alanna move the bodies.

"Both Chloe and Genesis are down." Alanna reported.

"I'm right here. I'll get Chloe." Mary said, as she walked around the corner. She easily hefted Chloe over her shoulder and followed Alanna to the area they were placing them.

"I'm going to follow Angeal again." Mary reported, when she was done.

"Alright. Keep an eye out for Sephiroth and Vincent as well, we have yet to find them." Matti ordered. Mary leapt from one building to the next and continued running in the direction that she had seen Angeal head in before the attack. Suddenly, Mary heard a loud noise, and she just managed to dodge a bullet.

"Shit…" Mary almost yelped, as she started dashing through the streets, trying to dodge the bullets that Vincent was shooting at her. She wasn't used to being shot at, and she was very afraid of bullets, even though they were in the VR room. Luckily for her, she was very good at dodging.

"What is going on Mary?" Matti asked.

"Found Vincent…" Mary replied, while jumping over a wall.

"Run." Matti ordered her.

"Way ahead of you, bossman." Mary said, as she continued running and dodging. She jumped onto a roof, and ducked behind a chimney, as she heard the sound of Masamune swinging through the air. She held her breath as she ducked farther into the corner. She was hoping that Sephiroth would distract Vincent, and that they would be more interested in each other than her. To her luck, she heard the sounds of their weapons get farther away. She let out her breath with a large sigh.

"Mary, report." She heard Matti say over her earpiece.

"Sephiroth found Vincent; they are going at it, luckily away from me." Mary replied.

"Alright, get out of there. We can check on them later. I need you to move Cloud; Tseng just took him out." Matti said.

"On it." Mary said, glad that she was no longer being chased, it was very unnerving.

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Luckily for the doppelgangers, Sephiroth and Vincent were able to take each other out. Because of that, they were able to continue with their plans, and took out the rest of the Turks and the SOLDIERs. When the VR simulation stopped, they went to watch the fights happening in the viewing room.

They watched as Alanna took out Genesis, after him taking out Chloe. Chloe was reprimanded for not seeing the three of them behind her, and Genesis was teased for Alanna's actions while disposing of him. They then watched as Mary started running across buildings, and ran into Vincent. They all dropped their jaws in shock as Mary ran away, free running and dodging bullets.

"I had forgotten about that. How did you manage to dodge my bullets? I've never seen anyone do that." Vincent asked Mary.

"I don't know. I've just always been good at dodging." Mary replied, turning a nice shade of pink. She didn't get to work with Vincent often, and she was nervous being around him. Though she was ultimately interested in Angeal, she had a wondering eye, and Vincent was very attractive in her mind.

"She is great at dodging, and even better when she is scared. She has these great fear reflexes. And I'm pretty sure guns and bullets scare her." Alanna explained. "She can make a move to dodge something if I think of throwing it, without even realizing it. It gets annoying sometimes." She added, and Mary nodded her head.

"And who taught her to parkour like that?" Reno asked, looking at Ryu and Cloud; both of them shook their heads.

"No one had to show me. I used to do stuff like that for cross country, and whenever I'm bored. I'm just much better at it now that I have mako in my system. I usually practice it the morning after a mako bath, takes the edge off." She explained, shrugging her shoulders. She looked back to the screen, and was happy to see that the screen was now showing the Zack and Reno chase. She let out a deep breath.

"I never thought I'd see you run from a challenge." She heard Angeal say to her. She became bright red, and turned slightly to him.

"I was following my orders. Sometimes it's better to run. Plus, I don't know how to face a gunner, especially not an undead Turk gunner." She said shyly.

"I know that. I have just never seen you do it before. It's good to know that you aren't too stubborn to run when necessary." Angeal answered, before turning back to the screen. Seeing Zack's death, he became confused, as he believed that Zack went down shortly before he did.

* * *

Sephiroth sat nervously on the couch, waiting for Vincent. After the VR room, and finding out their relation to each other, they had decided to spend some time together and talk about things. Sephiroth wasn't sure what to expect, but he was very nervous about it. They had decided to go to a small restaurant that Vincent liked to talk things through.

"What's the matter, Seph? You don't look so good." Mary said, as she sat down on the couch next to him.

"Huh? Oh, just nervous I guess." He replied, being snapped out of his inner thoughts.

"What are you nervous about?" Mary asked, as she grabbed the end of Seph's hair and starting running her fingers through it.

"I'm having dinner with Vincent tonight."

"Oh, I see. I know how you feel, but you shouldn't be nervous. Vincent, as scary as he is, is a good person, or so I've been told." Mary told him reassuringly.

"What do you mean, you know how I feel?" He asked her curiously.

"I went through something similar. Except my father is an ass, and I never actually met him. But, that was slightly different situation."

"You never knew your father?"

"No, I didn't. I knew his name, but that was it. He knew about me, and he paid child support, but he never tried to be a part of my life. Not until I was 18, and only then because his family found out about me and guilt tripped him into it." Mary explained.

"I'm sorry to hear that. So, you never met up with him?" Sephiroth asked her. He was glad for the conversation, as it was distracting him and calming his nerves.

"No. I met the rest of my family when they wanted to meet me. They never knew about me, so even though it was stressful and hard on me, I couldn't punish them for what he did. But I was always too stressed about the issue to meet up with him. Plus, in my mind, he had 18 years to try to know me, and he didn't; that is his own fault. It might be spiteful, but I really don't care." Mary answered, as her shoulders began to visibly shake. "My last birthday at home he texted me in the morning to see if I wanted to have lunch, and I almost threw my phone against a wall."

"That makes sense." Sephiroth said quietly. He noticed how worked up Mary had gotten, and felt bad for bringing it up. "So this feeling is normal?" He asked her.

"Yes, it is perfectly normal." Mary replied. "But it's not the same for you and Vincent. He didn't know about you. And from what Ryu and Alanna told me, he tried to protect you and your mother from Hojo when she was pregnant. I'm sure if he had known you were his and still alive, he would have been there for you." Mary said, shifting the attention away from herself. She didn't like way she felt when talking about her father, it always set her on edge; which is why she typically didn't talk about it.

"I know, that's not really why I'm nervous. I've never had a father, not a real one at least. And I've never had a family. I don't really know how to handle this." Sephiroth replied, the anxiety returning. He wasn't really sure why he was nervous, and the feeling was rather new to him. "I don't even know what we should talk about." He added.

"Well, you can always talk about weapons and fighting, or materia." Mary said hopefully. She had worked her way up Sephiroth's hair and was now massaging his scalp.

"I suppose. Thank you. I should head out now." Sephiroth said, as he stood and made his way to the door. Just as he went to open it, there was a gentle knock on the door. There was an awkward silence as Vincent and Sephiroth stood facing each other.

"Have fun you two. And don't kill Hojo, not tonight at least." Mary said, as she got up and left the living room. Sephiroth smiled slightly at Mary's comment.

"Shall we go, then?" Vincent said bluntly.

"After you." Sephiroth replied.

xxxxxxxx

"Thank you for dinner. I had a good time." Sephiroth said politely when he parted from Vincent after their dinner. Vincent nodded in response.

"I'm glad we were able to talk. If you want to do it again, let me know." Vincent said almost awkwardly. "And let me know if you reconsider learning how to shoot." He added, as he turned and walked down the hallway.

"I'll stick with swords for now." Sephiroth replied, as he opened the door and entered the apartment. He walked to his room to change into more comfortable clothing. When he was finished, he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in." He replied, making his way over to his favorite seat.

"How did it go?" Angeal asked, as he and Genesis made their way to their usual places on the couch across from Sephiroth.

"It went well. We were able to talk about some important matters." He replied.

"Like?" Genesis asked.

"My mother, how they met, and what she was like." Sephiroth replied, a little annoyed by Gen's tone, though he was used to it.

"Was she everything you always imagined?" Gen asked, almost sarcastically.

"Gen, not tonight." Angeal warned his best friend.

"She was a scientist, so she was very intelligent. And Vincent said that she was very kind and sweet, everything a mother should be." Sephiroth replied sadly.

"She sounds a lot like Gillian." Gen commented, elbowing Angeal in the side.

"From what you two have told me about her, I'd have to agree with you." Seph said sadly.

"It sounds like she would have been a great mother. We're sorry that she was taken away from you." Angeal said, trying to comfort his friend. "And what about Vincent?" He asked, trying to distract his friend from his sadness.

"He is a respectable man, and after what he told me, I cannot blame him for anything that happened. Mary was right; he seems to care about me now that he knows." Seph replied. Angeal and Genesis traded a confused look, which did not go unnoticed on Sephiroth. "We talked before I left. She helped to calm my nerves." He explained.

"The great General Sephiroth was nervous?" Genesis teased.

"Yes, oddly enough, I was. According to Mary, it is a normal response." He answered, starting to get more annoyed with Genesis' teasing. He was already stressed enough from the night he had had, he did not need his friend teasing him on top of it.

"Mary talked to you about her father?" Angeal asked a little upset that she had talked to Sephiroth about it but not him. He had wanted to talk with Mary about it since April, but Ryu had warned him to leave it alone.

"Yes, but it seemed to really bother her. It did help me though, and I do believe that was the reason why she shared it with me." He explained, not unaware to the way his friend had reacted, and what he was probably thinking.

"Well I'm glad she was able to help you. You could have come to us; we would have tried to help you." Angeal pointed out.

"I know, you are my friends and you are here for me. Thank you for checking on me, but I think I am ready for bed. You know your way out." He said, as he got up and made his way to his room.

"Good night." Genesis called after him, as he and Angeal got up and made their way to their own rooms.

* * *

Once Cloud returned from Tseng's apartment after the closet incident, he went straight to the doppelganger's lounge. He wanted to find Ryu and Alanna. He wanted to thank them, and he also wanted to ask who else knew about what happened. He was glad to find them both there, along with Mary and Piper.

"Hey Cloud, how you feeling today?" Ryu said, giving him a wink. Cloud blushed a little at that.

"Good. I wanted to talk to you two, if that's okay." He said, motioning to the hallway. Both girls got up and went to him eagerly.

"So, what did you want to talk about Chocobo?" Alanna asked.

"I uh, I just wanted to thank you for yesterday." He said quietly.

"It's no problem Chocobo. We just want to see you happy." Ryu replied, smiling.

"Thanks. I also wanted to ask something. Who knows about it?" He asked shyly.

"Well, both of us, Mary and Piper, Morgan. Reno was looking for Tseng while you were in the closet, so he knows, which means Rude probably knows as well. Seph was looking for you at some point, so I think he knows, but he seemed to know before." Ryu listed off the people she knew of. "Why do you ask?" She then asked him.

"I was just wondering. I was trying to think of when the best time would be to tell the others." Cloud replied.

"It really isn't their business, but if you are comfortable with telling them, you should do it soon, before they find out from someone else." Alanna said.

"Okay. I should do it today then…" Cloud said nervously. Seeing how nervous he was, Ryu offered him some advice.

"You could start by practicing with Mary and Piper. They already know, so it will make it easier for you. Also, Mary has some experience, so she would be a good person to help you. And you can always come to us for help as well." Ryu said.

"I could help with Genesis if you want." Alanna added.

"Okay, thanks. What do you mean, Mary has experience?" He asked, slightly confused.

"Just ask her, she can explain it better." Ryu answered, pointing her head in Mary and Piper's direction. Cloud nodded and went to sit by the two girls. He was nervous, even though they already knew, and they were like sisters to him.

"Hey Cloud." Mary and Piper both said as Cloud sat down.

"Hi." He said back. "Can I talk to you about something?" He asked, trying to control his shaky voice.

"Sure. Whatever it is, we are here for you." Mary said, moving to sit next to Cloud and running her fingers through his hair. She could tell he was nervous, and she could guess as to why.

"Well, I wanted to tell you, that um… I'm dating Tseng." He said finally.

"Congratulations. We're happy for you." Piper said in response, trying to sound as upbeat as possible to make it easier to Cloud. Neither one of them cared about his sexual orientation at all; they just wanted Cloud to be happy.

"You are dating Tseng. So, that means you are gay?" Mary asked, as she felt the tension build in Cloud's neck. "Relax Cloud. We are okay with it. I'm just trying to get you used to the kinds of questions the others may ask. I don't want you to be put on the spot later." Mary explained, and Cloud seemed to relax a bit. "I figured you were using us as practice, so I wanted to make sure you were prepared." She added.

"Thanks." Cloud replied, and then took a deep breath. "Yes, I am gay. I have known for a little while." Cloud answered, hoping that would be good enough, because he wasn't comfortable with going into any more detail.

"Good. You don't need to explain any farther. So, how long how this been going on between you and Tseng?" Mary continued the questioning.

"Well, actually, it just happened yesterday. That is where I was last night." Cloud said, feeling the blood go to his face as he remembered the night before. Mary giggled a little at the blush on Cloud's face, and was glad he didn't seem to notice. She paused for a second before she asked her next question.

"Don't you think Tseng is a little old for you? What if he is taking advantage of your young age?" She asked. Cloud's eyes grew wide, and he turned to stare at Mary.

"What? You don't think he would do that do you. I mean…" He blurted out.

"Relax Cloud. It was just a question. And no, I don't think he would do that. If he was like that, he would have made a move sooner. You needed to be locked in a room together for anything to happen." Mary answered, trying to calm Cloud down. "I'm sorry for asking it that way. But, I think that is something that Angeal would ask. I wanted you to be prepared to answer it. I am pretty sure Tseng is not taking advantage of you, and you need to believe that too." She continued.

"I guess you're right. I don't know if I can answer these questions on my own." Cloud said. "Ryu said that you guys could help me, she said you had experience. Do you think you could go with me to tell the others? You seem to have much better answers than I do." Cloud asked.

"No problem. I do have some experience, and I've taken quite a few classes on these types of things. I can be shy and a pushover over a lot of things, but this is one area where I will stand up. I'm in your corner Cloud." Mary said to him, squeezing his shoulders.

"We are all in your corner Cloud, though we may not be as helpful." Piper said, coming over to hug Cloud.

"Now, who do we need to tell?" Mary asked Cloud.

"Well, I think I still need to tell Zack, Angeal, and Genesis. Ryu says that Sephiroth already knows, but I should probably talk to him as well." Cloud said, the more he thought about it, the less ready he felt. "Can we start with Zack?" He asked.

"That would be a good idea. Piper is supposed to train with him in a little bit; we can go with her and talk to him." Mary said, pulling herself and Piper up from the floor. Piper then left the room to chance for her training session.

"Mary. What did you and Ryu mean when you said you have experience with this stuff?" Cloud asked, once they were both standing.

"Well, I'm bisexual, and I had to 'come out' to my friends, and some of my family. It was difficult, but mainly because my family is a bit homophobic. I only told my friends at first, because I knew they would be okay with it, but I didn't tell my family. I decided it would be best to not mention it unless necessary. The way I figured, if I ended up with a guy, it didn't matter. I would only need to tell them if I got a girlfriend." Mary explained, not hesitating at all. "Although one day my mom found out, because I was talking about something that happened during a semester at school. I was telling her about some guy I had danced with, who the others joked about me bringing home. My mom turned to me and asked if I was serious, because she didn't know I liked guys. She was dead certain that I was a lesbian." She continued.

"Why would she think that?" Cloud asked. He knew Mary was masculine, but he had never thought that about her.

"Everyone always made that assumption about me. It always frustrated me, because I didn't know I was bisexual until college. And even then, I have a stronger preference for guys. I guess since I'm so masculine and strong, everyone assumes that." She replied. "Anyways, I then had to explain to her that I was not a lesbian, I was actually bisexual, and had to explain that. It became much simpler with time, and practice. See how easy it was for me to tell you?" Mary asked.

"Yeah. But I haven't had much practice." Cloud said.

"That's why I'm here. I'll help you if you get stuck. And don't worry, if anyone has a problem with it, they will have to deal with me. And I think after my PMS on that dragon mission, no one will mess with me." Mary joked, and Cloud laughed at that.

"You were pretty mean and scary." He admitted.

"I know. I am a totally different person when I have PMS. Luckily it's just one day a month, or less." She said. She was well aware of how mean she could be, but inwardly she knew part of it was because she was so passive most of the time. She could put up with everyone and deal with their annoying habits most of the time, but every once in a while she snaps, and it all comes out.

"I'm ready. Let's go talk to Zack." Piper said, coming back into the room in her uniform. Cloud and Mary both followed Piper down to the training room.

xxxxx

"Hey guys! Didn't know you were all coming today." Zack said when Cloud, Mary and Piper walk into the training room.

"Yeah, we kinda need to talk to you about something." Mary said, pushing Cloud farther into the room.

"I'm not in trouble am I?" Zack asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"No puppy, you aren't in trouble. Cloud just has something to tell you." Mary said to Zack, before looking to Cloud. "Cloud, whenever you are ready. Remember, we are right here."

"What's up Chocobo?" Zack said, with a bright smile on his face.

"I'm dating Tseng." Cloud blurted out. Zack looked shocked for a moment, and then his smile returned.

"Good for you, chocobo. I'm glad you finally made your move." Zack said, reaching out to ruffle Cloud's hair.

"You knew?" Cloud asked surprisingly.

"How could I not know? You are like, my best friend. You get all flustered when you are around him." Zack said, with a proud smile on his face.

"Wow Zack, and here we thought you were a naïve little puppy." Mary commented.

"You knew, and you don't care, that I'm, gay?" Cloud asked, looking a little shocked at Zack.

"Why would I care? You're my bud; I just want you to be happy." Zack replied. "Just be careful; Tseng is a scary guy." Zack added, laughing a little.

"I will. Thanks Zack." Cloud said. "I'll talk to you later." He said, as he and Mary left the room.

"See, that wasn't so bad. Now, who do you want to tell next?" Mary asked Cloud, as they got into the elevator.

"Ryu said that Sephiroth already knew, so maybe we could tell him next. It didn't sound like he had any problem with it." Cloud responded.

"Okay. You want to get all the easy ones out of the way, huh?" Mary said, lightly elbowing Cloud as she pushed the button for the SOLDIER floor. "Sephiroth should be in his office at this time. Angeal and Genesis may be there too, so once we are done with Seph we can just keep on going; get it all over with." Mary suggested. Cloud gulped at that.

"You don't think Angeal is going to lecture me, do you?" Cloud asked Mary, while they waited in the elevator.

"He will probably try. But, like I said, I'll stick up for you." Mary said, patting Cloud's shoulder reassuringly. Mary was actually a little nervous about talking to Angeal. She had yet to talk to him since sleeping on his lap the night before. She blushed slightly at the thought.

"Why are you blushing?" Cloud asked her, noticing the color in her cheeks.

"Just remembering something from last night." Mary answered. "I kinda fell asleep on Angeal's lap. I had some chocolate and got a really strong sugar rush that led to a really bad sugar crash." She explained.

"You like him, don't you?" Cloud asked her, though he knew the answer, Ryu had told him some time ago.

"Yeah, that obvious, huh?" She asked him.

"To just about everyone. Except for Angeal, he seems pretty clueless." Cloud answered.

"It seems everyone is perceptive when it comes to everyone but themselves. You and Tseng were obvious to us, though you didn't seem to notice each other. Although, I think it may just be Angeal who is oblivious." Mary said, ruffling Cloud's hair again. "I think he will be pretty shocked by your news." The door to the elevator opened, and they walked down the hallway together. They decided it would be best to end their conversation.

When they reached Seph's office, Mary gently knocked on the door. "General Sephiroth, may we have a word, sir?" She asked politely. She had become used to calling the Turks and SOLDIERs by their first names in the apartment, but she still fell into formality when in other areas in the ShinRa building.

"Yes, come in." Sephiroth answered, having recognized Mary's voice. He was a little concerned as to why she was knocking on his door. She hardly ever went to his office, except to deliver paperwork from Angeal. "What is it that you need to talk to me about Mary?" He asked, before he realized that Cloud was with her. "Hello Cloud. What do you two need?"

"Cloud has something that he would like to tell you. Please keep an open mind." Mary asked, giving Sephiroth a pointed look. She then turned to Cloud and nudged him forward.

"I wanted to let you know, that I am seeing Tseng. I thought you should hear it from me." Cloud said, looking down at the floor.

"I am glad that you came to me. I have no objections, as long as it does not interfere with your work." Sephiroth said simply. Mary nodded her head, glad that Sephiroth gave a simple response. "If that is all, I have a lot of work to do." He said, as he waved his hand to the door.

"Of course, thank you for your understanding, Seph." Cloud said, relieved that everything was going so simply.

"That went well. Now for something a little more difficult. Let's see if Angeal is in his office." Mary said, as she and Cloud left Sephiroth's office. Angeal's office was only a few down, so Mary let Cloud stop and take a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in." She heard, without having to say anything. Mary opened the door and waited for Cloud to walk in first. Angeal looked up from the paperwork on his desk. He was surprised to see both Cloud and Mary together. He had them train together sometimes, and they were close in the apartment, but he did not know why they were together now. For a split second, he began to worry that the person Cloud was seeing was Mary, until he remembered that Cloud had left to be with the person, while Mary had returned to the apartment and had fallen asleep on his lap. His face flushed slightly as he remembered it.

Mary saw Angeal's slight blush, and couldn't help but smile slightly at it. "Can we talk for a minute? Cloud has something that he wants to tell you." Mary said, as she looked over to Cloud. She nodded him an encouragement, before stepping back.

"Alright. What is it you would like to tell me Cloud?" Angeal said, figuring it had to do with the previous night.

"I am dating Tseng." Cloud said.

"I see. How long has this been going on?" Angeal responded, though he was a little taken aback by the statement. He was expecting the admittance that Cloud was seeing someone, but he was not expecting it to be the Director of the Turks.

"It actually just started yesterday. But I have been having feelings for some time now, and apparently so has he." Cloud responded, very glad that Mary had asked him similar questions earlier.

Angeal let out a sigh. He was unsure of how to proceed. Mary waited nervously, as she was unsure of how he was going to react.

"Have you thought this through Cloud? You are a young, impressionable boy. Are you even sure that you are gay? What if he is taking advantage of you? There is quite an age difference. And what if he hurts you, Turks can be very dangerous?" Angeal asked, not knowing which questions to ask first, so he just asked them all.

"Yes, I've thought it through. I've known about being, gay, for a few years." Cloud started confidently, but his voice started wavering as he continued. "I don't think Tseng would do that, and he isn't dangerous." Hearing the tone in Cloud's voice change, Mary decided to step in.

"Angeal, Tseng is not taking advantage of Cloud. He has had feelings for him for some time, it was evident to us, but he was unwilling to do anything. He is aware of the age difference, and that is one of the reasons he held back. Nothing would have happened if they were not forced to talk, courtesy of Ryu and Alanna. If it wasn't for them, he would have kept it to himself. Does that sound like someone who is taking advantage?" She asked him.

"No, I suppose not." Angeal answered her.

"Good. Now is there anything else you would like to say?" She asked to both of them.

"As long as you are safe, and happy, then you have my blessing." Angeal said, emphasizing the word safe.

"I am, don't worry. Thanks Angeal." Cloud said, smiling.

"So that's settled. We have to go find Genesis now. Are we still training this afternoon?" Mary asked Angeal, who nodded his head. "Good, see you then." She said, as she and Cloud left the office. She was a little surprised that they didn't get a lecture, but she was glad.

Cloud and Mary continued down the hallway, and found that Genesis was not in his office. Mary pulled out her PHS and texted Alanna while heading to the elevator.

-_Do you know where Gen is? He is the only one left for Cloud to tell_- She sent to her.

-_Yeah. I'm with him right now, about to start our session. He seems a bit cranky today. I'll tell him, I don't want him going off on Cloud_.- Alanna replied.

-_Alright, I'll let Cloud know_.- Mary sent back to her. After the conversation was done, she turned to Cloud.

"Alanna is training with Gen right now. She says he's not in the best mood. She will tell him for you, just to make sure he doesn't freak out. If that's okay with you?" Mary told him.

"Yeah, that's fine. I was most worried about him anyway." Cloud said. "Maybe it's for the better. He does have the biggest problem with the Turks, even after the VR room." Cloud admitted. Once they were in the elevator, Mary pushed the button to return back to the apartment.

"So, how does it feel? You survived coming out." Mary asked him.

"I don't know. It feels good I guess, knowing it isn't a secret anymore." Cloud said, relieved. Everything had gone much better than he expected it to. "Thanks for the help Mary. It was good knowing you were there to back me up." He added.

"No problem, though you didn't really need it. You handled yourself really well." Mary replied. "So, Angeal brought up something that I forgot to ask." She continued. "You are being safe right? You know about safe sex?" She asked him. Cloud turned a very bright red, surprised by her forwardness.

"Well, not the first time, in the closet. That was kinda by surprise. But after that, yeah. Tseng and I talked about it last night." He said, looking down at the floor.

"Okay. Good to hear. I would hate to have to give you 'the talk'" Mary said, relieved. "But, you can talk to me anytime about this stuff Cloud. Just thought you should know that."

"Talk about what stuff?" Cloud asked.

"Sex stuff. I may not know from my own experience, but I've read a lot, and even taken a few classes before. And it doesn't bother me to talk about." She said, shrugging her shoulders. "Or not, either way, it's up to you." She added, seeing that Cloud was very tense and embarrassed about the topic.

"Thanks. But I don't think I'm ready to talk about that stuff yet." Cloud said.

"Wow, still so shy. I hope Tseng will cure that." Mary said, ruffling Cloud's hair, while his face got even redder.

* * *

A/N: Fun stuff coming up in both stories. Some sugar, some alcohol, some embarrassing events, and of course drama and violence. Should be interesting.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Now we get to the fun stuff! All happens between 20 and 21. Again, read the other story first. Even better stuff is coming up. Hopefully after this you have a pretty good idea for Mary's character, as well as a slightly better picture of the others. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: FF7 belongs entirely to square enix

* * *

Chapter 21

Mary sat in the living room, waiting for Alanna and Genesis to return from training. Angeal was in his greenhouse, tending to his plants. They had just been told that for Gen's birthday, he planned on everyone in their group joining him at a club for drinking and dancing. Mary was excited, but Angeal didn't seem very happy about it; he claimed it was not his 'scene'. Now Mary was waiting to talk to Genesis, but she had to wait for him to return from training, which could take a long time. Alanna's training sessions seemed to be taking longer and longer, and Mary was hoping it was because Gen was trying to spend more time with her. Though Mary could still barely stand to be around Genesis at times, she wanted her friend to be happy. She was glad when they finally walked through the door an hour later.

"How was training?" She asked them.

"Exhausting. I think I need a shower." Alanna replied, as she walked to their shared apartment.

"Have a good shower; don't take up all the hot water!" Mary yelled down the hall to her. Though she couldn't see it, she was almost positive that 'Lanna flipped her off in response. "Gen, can I talk to you?" She asked, before the redhead was able to make it out of the living room.

"About what?" He asked. He knew Mary didn't like him much, and he was still wary about being around her since experiencing her PMS a few weeks before.

"I heard you want us to go to a club for your birthday. I am assuming you want us to dress up for it?" She said, trying to ease into her request, knowing it would throw him off.

"Yes. I hope you have a dress, preferably one that is not a bright obnoxious color." He replied.

"Actually I don't. I was wondering if maybe you'd go shopping with me for one?" She asked him hesitantly. Gen lifted an eyebrow, and gave her a confused look.

"And why exactly would I want to do that?" He asked arrogantly. Mary sighed.

"If you go shopping with me, you will be insured that I will be wearing something that you approve of. And I could really use your help; you are the most fashionable person here." She said, and she tried not to be sarcastic. "You understand colors and shapes better than me, or the others for that matter. Plus, this body shape is still new to me, I haven't tried finding a dress yet, I don't know where to start." Mary continued.

"And you want to impress Angeal, and I know him best." Genesis interrupted her. Mary turned a bright pink, and nodded her head.

"Yeah, that too. Please Gen?" She asked him again.

"Fine, I have to go to town tomorrow anyways. But I must warn you, I will not go into one of those cheap stores you usually shop at." He warned her.

"That's fine, I have plenty saved up." She said to him, a big smile on her face. "See you tomorrow!" She said, as she walked away. Genesis shook his head. He wasn't sure how he felt about this shopping trip.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Alright. I'm headed out; I'll see you guys later." Mary said, as she walked through the living room. Genesis had called her and told her to meet him in the garage.

"Wait, where are you going?" Alanna asked her.

"Shopping with Gen." She replied, as she stopped at the door and turned around.

"Why are you going shopping with Gen?" Ryu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I need a dress for his party. I would rather him approve of it before I purchase it. And his fashion sense could come in handy." She said.

"Are you implying that we don't have fashion sense?" Alanna asked sarcastically, pointing to herself and Ryu.

"Yup." Mary said, as she turned and walked out the door.

"HEY!" She heard, as the door closed behind her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Mary and Genesis walked into a store, Genesis turned to Mary. "I need to drop something off, I will be right back. You can start looking around if you would like. This store has some nice dresses; it is a good place to begin." He said, as he walked behind a curtain near the back of the door. –_A good place to begin, how many stores are we going to have to go through- _Mary thought to herself. She was never one to shop for very long. She was very good at finding what she wanted and getting out. She was a little worried about what she had gotten herself into.

When Genesis returned from the back room he found Mary still standing where he had left her. She turned to him, a little embarrassed. "I have no idea where to start. There are a lot of dresses here." She admitted.

"Well, for starters, what is your dress size?" He asked her.

"I'm not sure. Like I said, I haven't tried to buy a dress yet. I'm a different size than I was before. And I'm pretty sure dress sizes are different from uniform sizes." She said. Genesis shook his head and sighed.

"Come with me." He said, as he pulled her behind the curtain. Mary could see now that that was where fittings could be done, as there was a podium in the center, and measuring tapes and pins strewn about the room. "Arms up." Genesis told her, before she could really realize what was going on. Within a minute, he had managed to measure her and calculate what her new dress size was. "Now then, we have a place to start. Your rib cage is wide, so we have to keep that in mind." He added.

"Yeah, that I knew. I've always had to go up a size or two to wear anything princess cut." She replied. "So what types of cuts should we be looking for?" Mary asked him, as they started walking through aisles of dresses.

"I'm not sure yet. You have an odd shape. We'll have to try a few and see what works and what doesn't." He replied, as Mary rolled her eyes. "This will be easier if we have a little more direction. What are you looking for in a dress?" He asked her, pausing in his search to look at her.

"Well, I would like a dress that could show off what little femininity I have." She replied.

"So, you want a dress to impress Angeal. Well, we will want to find something about knee length. It will be enough to show off your legs, without bothering his Honor complex too much. And something strapless would probably work well for you, you have nicely defined shoulders." He said, beginning his search again. "What color were you thinking?" He asked.

"Blues or greens, preferably." Mary said, looking through a rack of dresses. "And I like silvers and metallic, but not gold. I hate gold." She added.

"That is a good idea; they do look good with the black hair. But not those obnoxious bright shades that you typically like." He replied. With the information he had, he started grabbing dresses off of the racks, and handing them to Mary. Once they had five or six dresses, he ushered her to the dressing room. While she was there, he went to find her a pair of shoes. When Mary first stepped out of the room, he stuck out a pair of silver heels.

"Thanks." Mary said, as she bent over and slid the shoes on. It had been a while since she had worn heels, and they felt very awkward. "Gonna have to practice walking in these things again." She muttered, as she stood up and adjusted the skirt.

"Not bad. But I don't think it's the one." Genesis critiqued the first dress.

"Yeah. It's a bit tight. I don't think I'd be comfortable in this. And the fabric is itchy." She said. Mary tried on each of the dresses that Genesis had picked out, and all of them had been rejected for one reason or another. When she was done removing the last dress, she heard a knock on the side of the dressing room.

"Try this one." She heard Genesis say, as he stuck his hand through the curtain. She grabbed it from his hand and smiled when she saw it. It was definitely pretty, and she was really hoping that it would look good as well. She quickly put in on, and stepped out of the dressing room.

"So?" She said, as she stood in front of Genesis.

"Lovely. That is the best cut for you. Good color too. I think Angeal will like it." Genesis said, as he urged Mary to turn around. When she did, she smiled brightly. It was a silver and blue strapless dress, with a nice a-line top. It had a crossing pattern at the smallest part of her waist, and went down to pleat slightly at her knees. It did well to show off her more feminine features. She smiled at the way the material flowed when she twirled from side to side.

"Do you really think so? He won't be mad at me for it being strapless, will he?" She asked him.

"I think he will be a little too distracted to complain. And yes, I think he will like it, I know he likes you." He said, as Mary blushed again. She looked down at the dress and twirled around again.

She smiled at Gen, before reaching to give him a light hug. "Thank you." She said.

"You're welcome. Now, we need to find shoes and jewelry to match." He said, as he pulled away from her hug. Mary bounced back into the changing room and got back into her normal clothes. She came out clutching the dress and smiling.

"Do they have that stuff here or are we going somewhere else?" She asked him, as they started walking through the store.

"We can check here first." He replied. They began looking through shoes, and found a simple pair of silver ones that matched the dress well, and weren't too painful for Mary to wear. Then they started walking towards the jewelry section.

"Hey Gen. Thanks for helping me, I really appreciate it." Mary said to him. "And since you helped me with Angeal, I think I should give you some advice for Alanna." She added.

"What do you mean?" Genesis asked, confused as to what she meant.

"I know you like her, and she likes you too. You should really make a move soon. But, if you do, there are some things you should know." Mary told him.

"Like what?" He asked her, curious as to what she would say.

"She is an independent person, and she wants to be treated as such. Gifts are nice every once in a while, but she can take care of herself, and wants to. Her last boyfriend never let her pay for anything, and that really ticked her off. Also, she hates it when she isn't allowed to carry her own bags. And try not to be such an ass all the time." Mary added at the end, with a joking tone. "Your confidence is part of who you are, and part of why she likes you, but you can push it sometimes. You may want to stop acting like you are the king of the world."

"I don't act like the kind of the world." Genesis muttered. "But thank you for the other advice. I will try to keep that in mind." He replied. "Here, try these." Genesis said, as he held up a pair of silver hang earrings.

"Oooh, pretty. I like them. And with these I shouldn't need to wear a necklace." She replied, admiring the earrings as they hung from her ears and rested just above her shoulders.

"A necklace is not necessary, though you may want to consider a bracelet. I will not allow you to wear that clunky watch when we are at the club." Genesis replied to her, in a somewhat snotty tone.

"But I always wear my watch." Mary whined, while Genesis shook his head. "Fine, I'll get a bracelet. Do they have one that matches the earrings?" She asked him. Within a minute, he was able to find one that matched. With that, Mary went to the counter to purchase the dress and jewelry, and they left the store.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Mary walked back into the apartment, Alanna looked up worriedly from the couch.

"Where is Gen?" She asked. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

"No, I didn't kill him. He had to stop by his office. It really wasn't that bad, I only wanted to slap him two or three times. But don't worry, I refrained." She said jokingly.

"Well, let me see what you got." Alanna said, putting her book down.

"Alright. Let's go to our room so I can put it on and show you." Mary replied, as she pulled Alanna up from the couch and started walking to her room. On the way, they ran into Angeal.

"Where have you been this afternoon?" Angeal asked her.

"Shopping with Genesis." She replied, as she walked into her room and shut the door. Angeal stood there with a confused look on his face. After a minute, he decided to let it go, and continued to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner.

* * *

The group of doppelgangers, SOLDIERs, and Turks sat at the table, enjoying the meal that Angeal had made. Ever since the VR room, the group as an entirety seemed to be getting along much better. They had decided that they could accomplish more if they worked together and used each other's skills, than if they were fighting all the time. Because of this, they had been spending more time around each other, and having dinner as a large group.

"So, Tseng. I assume the planning is going well for my party?" Genesis asked when he was finished with his food.

"Yes. We should all be free for the night and the next morning." Tseng replied. He had been working on schedules all week to accommodate the arrogant SOLDIER. At first he was annoyed that the arrogant redhead was expecting such a night out, but he was starting to reconsider. Now that he was with Cloud, he was excited to have a night out, a night that would involve drinking, relaxing, and hopefully some dancing with his young blonde.

"Good." Genesis replied, taking a drink from his wine glass.

"So, what is everyone up to tonight?" Mary asked. She had been enjoying having everyone around since the VR room. She was becoming more comfortable with the Turks, and found them to be quite entertaining. She was hoping maybe they would be able to hang out for a while after dinner.

"Not much. Things have slowed down the last few days. There are no pressing matters to attend to." Tseng replied for the Turks. "We can stay, if you had something particular in mind."  
"Nothing particular, I was just wondering." Mary replied, taking a drink of her water.

"We could play a drinking game, yo." Reno offered.

"That could be fun." Alanna said, a smile crossing her face. She enjoyed drinking, but other than the wine Genesis had gotten her, she didn't get to do it often.

"I don't know if that is a good idea." Morgan piped up.

"Oh come on, Morgan. Don't be a buzz kill. It is a good idea actually. It would get us more used to drinking so we don't get completely smashed at Gen's party." Ryu said, poking him in the side.

"And we could play something that will help us get to know each other better." Mary added.

"I think it sounds interesting. How shall we play and what shall we be drinking?" Sephiroth asked.

"We could play a game where you ask questions or bring up topics, and people drink in response. And it would be best for each of us to have our preferred drinks. We don't want to get too drunk by doing shots or anything like that." Mary replied, excited for the game. She had just purchased a new type of fruity rum, and was excited to try it. She didn't drink too much, but when she did she would drink really fast. She preferred mixed drinks, typically mixed with fruit juice.

"Sounds like a plan. How about we get our drinks, and meet in the living room." Sephiroth said, getting up out of his chair.

"Alright, everyone just leave your plates, I'll pick them up." Mary said, as she started collecting plates. Each person of the group got up, and made their way to the kitchen to choose their drinks. After ten minutes, the drinks were mixed, and dishes were taken care of. The group had started to gather into the living room, picking a seat where they would be comfortable. The furniture had been moved so that there was a circular shape around the table that was in the center of the room.

Alanna and Genesis were sitting comfortably next to each other in one of the loveseats. Matti was in the other, with Piper sitting on his lap, and Ryu sitting farther on the other arm. Morgan was perched on the armrest, resting on the back. Tseng was sitting in the corner of a couch, with Cloud sitting closely to his side. He placed his arm around Cloud's shoulder, and smiled when the young blonde rested his head against his chest. Chloe sat next to them, being careful to keep a small amount of space between them. She was new to the group, but was glad to be involved. She enjoyed the group's antics, and found herself particularly interested in one of the SOLDIERs, who was sitting next to her. Sephiroth leaned against the arm of the couch, while Vincent was sitting on the back, resting his back against a wall. Rude sat on the other couch, with Reno sitting on the floor in front of him.

When Mary had finished cleaning up, and had made her drink, she entered the room and took the seat on the other side of the couch from Rude. Shortly after sitting, she heard Angeal and Zack enter the room. Zack had gotten a short lecture from Angeal, reminding him not to drink too much, because he had to run an early mission with the cadets the next morning. When they entered the room, Zack plopped on the floor in front of Mary and was rewarded with pets. Angeal looked around quickly, and hesitated, as the only seat left was next to Mary. Since the chocolate incident, he had been trying to avoiding being too close to Mary. He hoped that the presence of everyone else would deter her from such behavior. As he sat, Mary gave him a warm smile, while continuing to pet Zack's head.

"So, how do we play this game exactly?" Sephiroth asked.

"There are no specific rules really, except for honesty." Mary began, trying to figure out how she wanted to describe what she had been thinking. "I guess I'll start by asking a question, and hopefully we will just catch on." She said.

"Alright. Ask away." Sephiroth replied, waving his hand to her.

"Okay. Take a drink if you have ever broken a bone." Mary said, as almost everyone in the room took a drink. "See, simple questions like those. Hopefully we will get better questions, and if things seem interesting people can elaborate." Mary said.

"Drink if you have ever been arrested." Ryu threw out for a question, to keep the game going. None too surprisingly, Reno and Rude both took a drink, as well as Chloe. "No surprise there." She muttered.

The game continued for about an hour, with people taking turns asking simple questions, and telling funny little stories from their past. It was a surprisingly long time before the alcohol started to affect the doppelgangers enough that they purposefully started crossing lines, as they were known to do.

"Drink if you have ever kissed someone of the same sex. That means you Chocobo." Zack said, winking at his friend. To no one's surprise, Tseng and Cloud took a drink, as well as Chloe and Reno. To a few people's surprise, Mary and Alanna also took drinks.

"It was on a dare; don't look at me like that." Alanna said, as Gen turned to her and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"I did sports and we had a lot of bus rides. We played many games of spin the bottle, and no matter what you had to kiss the person you landed on." Mary explained. Ryu and Alanna raised their eyebrows.

"I don't think that was the most honest answer Mary." Alanna said.

"What do you mean, that's how it happened. Oh, you mean the bisexual thing. Just because I've had crushes on some girls doesn't mean I kissed any of them." Mary said getting some shocked looks from the others in the room. Mary sensed this, and decided to ask a question to distract them.

"Drink if you have ever stared at a screen while the Victoria's Secret fashion show commercial is on." Mary said, trying to get Matti to drink, even if she herself had to drink. He glared at her while taking his drink. The Turks and SOLDIERs sat in confusion, while the doppelgangers burst out laughing, except Piper, who seemed to take offense to the question. Matti decided to retaliate.

"I have one for you Mary. Drink if you are still a virgin." He said. Mary turned bright red as she lifted her drink. She leveled a glare at him, and then took her drink. Angeal had lifted his drink at that, but hesitated when he saw Mary's reaction. To his relief, she took a drink from her glass. He turned to her before taking his drink.

"There is nothing wrong with being a virgin." He said, and then lifted his bottle to his lips. Mary turned bright red, and practically stared at him in shock. It made sense, with his ideas of Honor for him to be a virgin, but she hadn't really thought that he would be. She forced herself to look around the room.

"I hate you guys." She said, as she slipped down into her seat. "No one else? It's really just us?" She asked, as the other's nodded their heads.

"Zach?" Angeal asked, with a stern tone.

"What? I'm a hormonal teenage boy. What do you expect? Not everyone has as much patience and honor as you do." Zack said in reply, surprisingly not embarrassed at all.

Ryu sat nervously, hoping beyond hope that Reno hadn't noticed that she did not take a drink. To her relief, he seemed to be more amused by Mary and Angeal, because he made no comment to her or Morgan.

"No offense, but who did you sleep with Seph?" Alanna asked, a bit surprised.

"I don't know her name. It was part of an experiment. Hojo wanted to know if I could reproduce." Sephiroth answered.

"That is disturbing. Hojo really is a creepy bastard." Alanna replied.

"You should not be treated like a lab rat, Sephiroth. I hope you will not let him do anything like that again. If he tries, you tell me, okay?" Vincent said, from his spot behind Sephiroth on the couch.

"Okay." Sephiroth answered. There was an awkward silence in the room, and so Reno decided to end it.

"You know Mary, I could help you with that virgin problem, yo." He said, flashing his 'seductive' eyes at Mary.

A loud "RENO" was heard from several people in the room, as Reno received a smack on the head from Rude. Angeal was glad that he wasn't the only one to scold the Turk, so no one seemed to notice the glare he had leveled at him.

"I was just kidding, yo." Reno said. Mary turned an even brighter red and tried to hide herself in the couch. She decided not to respond to the Turk, mainly because she was unsure of what would come out of her mouth.

"Refill time!" Ryu yelled, taking pity on Mary and trying to create a distraction. With that, everyone who needed it got up and refilled their drinks, and the embarrassment faded from Mary. When they returned, it seemed as though they were still in the mood to cross lines.

"Drink if you have ever been caught watching porn." Mary started off the next round of questions. The SOLDIERs all turned a lovely shade of red, while the Turks who it applied easily took a drink. The group started laughing heavily, taking great amusement at the embarrassment of their friends. "Oh come on, we won't judge you. There is nothing wrong with watching porn. It is totally natural." Mary said, trying to ease their embarrassment. When it didn't seem to work, she decided on a different tactic. "That is what the internet is for, after all." She added, before she began.

"I get to teach a whole lesson, all by myself… and I'm going to teach something relevant, something modern… the internet!" She began, in a singsong manner. The other girls giggled and joined her.

_The internet is really really great… _they began… **FOR PORN…** Matti chimed in at the end of the phrase.

_I've got a fast connection, so I don't have to wait…_**FOR PORN…**

_There's always some new site…_**FOR PORN…**

_I browse all day and night..._**FOR PORN.**

_It's like I'm surfing at the speed of light…_**FOR PORN**.. The group continued singing. _The internet is for porn, the internet is for porn, me up all night hogging me horn to porn porn porn._

They only made it through the first chorus before they broke out in laughter and couldn't stop. The horrified look on the other's faces weren't helping. Zack and Reno seemed to find it funny, and were laughing along with them.

When their laughter died down, they continued with the questions, trying to get away from the gutter. After another hour, the questions ran dry, and the group decided to try something else. Zack decided to start doing some impressions of his friends. They all started laughing as he stood with his arms across his chest.

"Embrace your dreams. If you want to be a hero, you need to have dreams." He said, in his best Angeal-lecture voice. With that, Mary turned and clung to Angeal's arm, while Angeal just looked down at her. He had been worried about this, but he had had enough to drink that he didn't seem to mind it very much.

"I don't think that's what he meant, Mary." Alanna giggled.

"Shut up." Mary muttered with her face still in Angeal's arm. She was becoming tired, and she found Angeal's arm very warm and comfy. Within a minute, her breathing slowed, and she fell asleep.

"Ooooh. I think Mary's asleep, this could be fun." Ryu said, noticing how Mary was no longer responding to Zack's antics.

"Yes, indeed it could be." Alanna replied, getting off her seat next to Genesis and taking Zack's place in front of Mary on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Angeal asked her.

"Nothing bad. Just gonna ask her some questions." Alanna replied.

"But she is asleep, how could she reply?" Genesis asked, a little upset that Alanna had left his side.

"She talks in her sleep. She can do a lot of things in her sleep. She can crochet, she can take notes, and she can even take out a book to an exact page without ever waking up. I've seen it, and it is funny. But what is even better, is she won't hear any of this, but if I direct a question at her, she will respond, completely honestly and without hesitation. She has no filter or forethought when she is asleep." Alanna said, an amused and evil look in her eyes.

"Oh no. I don't think I want to hear any of this." Matti said, closing his eyes and curling around Piper, who was fast asleep.

"I think I know where this is going. Keep me out of it." Ryu said from where she was curled up with Morgan. "I don't want to feel her wrath when she wakes up." She added.

"Oh, I think she'll be too embarrassed to be mad." Alanna said, giggling. "Mary, do you think Reno is attractive?" She asked her, mock innocently.

"Hell yeah. Sexy ass turk." Mary mumbled, as she let go of Angeal's arm and turned so she was leaning on him instead. "Sexy red hair…" She started to continue, when Alanna interrupted her.

"Then why won't you take him up on his offer?" Alanna asked sweetly.

"Don't wanna upset 'Geal." Mary replied, still fast asleep. Angeal blushed at her answer, and furrowed his brow. Genesis started laughing from his spot across the room. He found Angeal's confusion hilarious.

"Wanna go to bed with 'Geal instead?" Alanna continued.

"Uh huh. So warm…" She started in response.

"No, Mary." Angeal managed to reply. He was turning red, and was starting to feel similar to the other night, when she had fallen asleep on his lap. Hearing that, Mary pouted in her sleep.

"How about Zack? Is he attractive?" Zack chimed in, curious as to what she would say about him.

"Um hmm… nice butt, so many squats." She mumbled in response, which cause Zack to blush and start giggling, falling onto the floor.

"And Cloud?" Alanna asked her.

"Damn hot, wanna watch… with Tseng." She said, as she changed her position again and pushed her face into Angeal's arm. Cloud was blushing furiously, and trying to hide in Tseng's arms. Tseng glared at the sleeping SOLDIER Turk, a little concerned, because he had her trained in surveillance.

"This is just too funny, yo." Reno managed to say as he was laughing. "I never knew she was such a perv."

"Then you really don't know her at all." Alanna replied. "Would you ever sleep with Rufus Shinra, Mary?" She asked, knowing that she was starting to cross the line.

"If he was gagged, and maybe handcuffed…" Mary said in response.

"Damn, that's hot. Girl's got some good ideas." Reno said, as Rude smacked the back of his head again.

"What was that for?" Reno asked his partner. Rude just shook his head, and crossed his arms across his chest. Ryu hid her face in Morgan's arm to try and hide her laughter.

"What about Sephy?" Alanna asked.

"Gorgeous." Was all Mary said in reply, as she was starting to fall into a deeper sleep. Now it was Seph's turn to blush, and he lifted his hand to try and hide it. He failed to notice Chloe's blush at that comment as well.

"It is starting to sound like she will sleep with anyone." Genesis said.

"No, she just has a great appreciation of you fine specimens." Alanna replied. "What about Gen, Mary?"  
"Pretty, but he's 'Lanna's." Mary said, causing both Alanna and Genesis to blush.

"Alright. I think we have had enough of embarrassing Mary. It is getting late, we should head out." Rude said, not wanting the questions to lead to him. He was finding the revelations of the night amusing, and he enjoyed watching, but he did not want to know Mary's true feelings for him.

"I second that. Goodnight." Vincent said, as he got up from his spot and walked out the door. Without further conversation, the Turks filed out of the apartments, and the SOLDIERs began heading to their rooms. Alanna shook Mary awake, and told her it was time for bed.

"And in your own room…" She added, earning her a confused look from Mary.

* * *

Mary woke up from a night of odd dreams. She shook her head, and put on her running clothes. When she was finished changing, she made her way to the track. Throughout her run, she kept getting images from her dreams, and she was glad no one was awake this early in the morning.

After Mary had showered and changed, she made her way to the kitchen. She was having a hard time forgetting one of her dreams that had been quite vivid. To her dismay, when she entered the kitchen, Reno was sitting there, drinking a cup of coffee. Mary started to retreat, when she heard him start to talk to her.

"Where are you going in such a rush, yo?" He asked her, getting up from his seat. Mary blushed and stopped in her tracks. It seemed as though Reno was not going to make things any easier for her. "So about last night." He started.

"I'm sorry, it's nothing against you, but…" She stuttered.

"No worries. I know you are into the big man. But my offer still stands, if things don't work out." He said, placing his hand casually on the wall. Mary's blush deepened. "But we should hang out more, yo; you have some very good ideas sometimes. Haven't gotten that image of Rufus from my mind since last night." He said, with a smirk on his face. Mary's eyes widened, both in confusion and worry.

"What are you talking about?" She asked him hesitantly.

"Rufus in handcuffs, with a gag." He answered her.

"But… that was… a dream… how did?" She stumbled over her words.

"Ya fell asleep, 'Lanna asked you some questions, which you gave colorful answers to, yo." He told her.

"She did WHAT?!" Mary yelled in horror.

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Alanna walked through the living room, following Genesis. They were headed for their training session. Alanna was glad that she had managed to miss Mary's return from her run, and had gotten out of the shared apartment before Mary had gotten out of the shower. She didn't know if Mary knew about what had happened the night before, and she was not going to stick around to find out. Just before they made it to the door, she heard Mary scream from the hallway.

"She did WHAT?!" Was all she heard, and she immediately ran past Genesis through the door.

"I think Mary found out about last night. Run away!" She said, as she dashed towards the elevator. Genesis followed her without hesitation. He was well aware that he did not want to be anywhere near Mary at the moment.

"So, an extra long session today?" He asked Alanna once they were in the elevator.

"Um, yeah. I'd rather not die today." She answered.

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Mary stared at Reno in horror of what he had told her. She put her back against the wall, closed her eyes, and let her head thump against the hard surface.

"Exactly what did she ask me?" Mary asked hesitantly. She knew that she could talk in her sleep, and that most likely she wouldn't think through what she was saying. She also remembered that everyone she was close to was in the room, and she was terrified that they may have learned some things that she didn't want them to know. She definitely didn't want them to know the things she had dreamed about the last night.

"Oh you know, just stuff like 'are you attracted to Reno', 'do you want to sleep with Angeal', 'would you ever sleep with Rufus'. Simple things like that, yo." Reno said, raising his eyebrows.

"Shit." Mary said, as she hit her head off of the wall again. "So Angeal knows?" She asked him.

"Kind of. He still seemed a little confused and oblivious. I swear those SOLDIERs are not all there, yo." He replied. "And Tseng seems a little paranoid; he'll probably be watching you for a few days." He continued.

"I'm going to go die in a corner now." Mary said, as she turned and went back to her room. She slammed her door and collapsed on her bed, rolling herself up in her blankets.

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"What was Mary screaming about?" Ryu said, as she walked into the kitchen. She had been taking a shower when she heard Mary scream. If not, she would have run out to see what the problem was. It was neither Mary's time of the month, or the day of a mako bath, so she was not worried that she was being bitchy.

"Oh, she just found out about last night is all." Reno said coolly.

"Oh goody. Is Alanna still alive, or did she violently murder her?" She asked him.

"She didn't even look for her. She just retreated to her room." He answered.

"Well we should probably let her cool off a bit. Let's go, I'm sure we have plenty of paper work to do." Ryu said, pulling Reno from his chair and out of the apartment.

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Mary stayed in a ball, under her covers, for what seemed like hours. The small pieces of what she remembered of her dreams raced through her mind. She felt embarrassed, and she just wanted to crawl in a hole and die. She was suddenly very glad that Zack and Angeal were running a mission with the cadets, and she was left on her own for training. She felt bad that she wasn't doing what was expected of her, but she wasn't in the mood to face anyone.

The more she thought about the possibility of what she had said while she was asleep, the more worried and frustrated she became. There were many things that went through her mind, and she knew that most of it should stay there, and that is why she usually filtered her thoughts. But, as she had found out through the years, her sleeping mind had no filter. She wondered what she had let slip while she was asleep. She was also extremely worried about what the others would think of her. She had gotten very comfortable with the doppelgangers, as they had been her friends for years. She knew that they wouldn't judge her for her dirty thoughts.

She couldn't help but worry about what Angeal was going to think. From what Reno told her, she had practically admitted that she wanted to sleep with Angeal. Though she had teased him just a few days before, she knew better than to push too far. He was far too honorable of a man to make a move in a sexual direction. –_What will he think of you now?- _She thought to herself. –_He probably thinks that you are just a horny teenager who wants to get in his pants. He will think you are like any other fangirl of his_.- She shoved her face into her pillow, and started to cry.

"DAMN IT!" She screamed into the pillow. Though she was alone, she still hated to cry. She kept her face in the pillow for about an hour, letting out all of her emotions. She hated crying, but she knew it was good for her, and so she let her tears flow. Once she felt as though all of her tears had dried out, she curled her blankets around her again and fell asleep.

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Angeal was distracted as he watched the cadets complete their mission. His mind was filled with thoughts that he knew he should not be thinking. Zack could tell that his mentor was distracted as the mission finished and they left the VR room, after dismissing the cadets.

"You alright Angeal? You seem a bit distracted." Zack said, trying to not sound accusing with his statement.

"I'm fine." He answered flatly. Zack looked at him and raised his eyebrow. "It's nothing Zack, just didn't sleep well. I had a bit more to drink than I am used to." He tried to explain.

"Sure you did. I think you were thinking about Mary." Zack said, in a matter of fact tone. Angeal did not answer; instead he leaned against the wall of the elevator and crossed his arms across his chest. He let out a loud sigh and closed his eyes.

Though he did not want to admit it, he had been thinking of Mary. He hadn't been lying to Zack though; he had trouble sleeping that night, and had drunken more than he was used to. He had the feeling as though something important had happened, but he couldn't remember quite what it was. He remembered Mary hugging his arm, and falling asleep on him. He vaguely remembered Alanna asking her questions, but he couldn't remember what they were, or what Mary said. He did however remember that Mary had admitted to being a virgin. That thought made him very happy, and he immediately chastised himself for thinking that way. –_You should not be thinking about her that way, she is your student_.- He told himself. It seems like he had been saying it more often as the days passed.

When the elevator ride was over, Angeal exited, and entered the apartment without a word to Zack. Zack plopped down on the couch, feeling defeated. He could still remember the night before, even though he drank more than Angeal did. He was now positive about Mary's feelings, but he still couldn't get Angeal to admit his. He shook his head in frustration, as he got up and went to his room to change into more comfortable clothes.

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"Is Mary going to join us for dinner?" Sephiroth asked, as he sat at the table. He thought he would be the last one there, as he was in his office late doing paperwork.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her all day." Angeal replied. "I'll go ask her." He said as he left the kitchen.

As he left, Ryu poked Alanna in the side. "Did she yell at you at all?" She asked her.

"No. I heard her scream when I left for training, but she didn't leave her room when I got back. I figured bothering her would be detrimental to my health." She said, picking at the food on her plate.

"I think Reno told her what happened. I haven't seen her since then. Do you think she's okay?" Ryu said, wondering if she should have stopped Alanna the night before.

"She'll be fine. She's tough, you know that." Alanna answered, hoping that she was right. "I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think she would be okay with it, eventually." She added.

"I hope you're right." Ryu replied, throwing a look down the hallway to Mary's room.

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Mary heard a knock on her door. She had fallen asleep, and when she looked at her clock she realized it was about dinner time. She was hungry, but when she remembered why she was hiding, she curled back into her blankets.

"Go away!" She yelled, when the knocking occurred again. "Just leave me alone."

"Mary. Are you alright? No one has seen you all day." She heard from the other side of the door. She quickly recognized Angeal's voice. She groaned into her pillow. Of all the people she wanted to avoid, Angeal was on the top of the list. She felt tears fill her eyes again.

"I'm fine. Just go away, please." She replied, a strange tone leaking into her voice.

"Is this about last night?" He asked through the door.

"I don't want to talk about it. Please just leave me alone." She said, fighting the tears that were working their way to her eyes. Angeal hesitated outside the door, before turning around and returning to the kitchen. He returned to his seat, and sat silently.

"So, what did she say?" Ryu asked from her spot across the table.

"She just wants to be left alone. I tried to ask her why she was upset, but she just asked me to leave." Angeal said, looking down at his plate. For the first time in a long time, he had lost his appetite. Ryu and Alanna traded glances, acknowledging that Mary was much more upset than they had expected she would be. They were going to have to talk to her after dinner.

"Are you alright Angeal?" Genesis asked when Angeal had still not touched his plate.

"What?" He asked, as he had not been paying attention to what was going on around him. He was still trying to figure out why Mary was so upset. "Not hungry I guess." He answered, shrugging, when he realized why Genesis was questioning him. Genesis let out a sigh, as he shook his head. He wished Angeal was not so oblivious to the situation, and his own feelings. He was sure Angeal felt for Mary the way she had admitted feeling for him, though he also knew that Angeal was still in denial about his own feelings.

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When they finished dinner, Ryu and Alanna made their way towards Mary's room. Piper saw them head in that direction, and started to follow them. Though she didn't know what had happened the night before, she was worried about Mary. She had been wondering what was happening since Mary had texted her saying she was not going to train with her and Cloud that day. She had asked why, but had never gotten a reply. When she caught up to Ryu and Alanna, she decided to find out what was going on before seeing Mary.

"Hey. What is going on? Why is she so upset, anyways?" Piper asked when she caught the two troublemakers.

"Well 'Lanna here asked her a bunch of really personal questions while she was sleeping. I think Mary is embarrassed about it, and so she won't come out of her room." Ryu said, pointing at Alanna.

"You did nothing to stop me." Alanna responded, reluctant to take all of the blame. "I didn't think she would react like this. She is usually so open about these things. I didn't think it would really upset her." She said in her own defense. Piper just shook her head, and pushed past the other two girls.

"Mary?" She asked, as she lightly opened the door. She noticed the lump of blankets on Mary's bed, but got no response.

After Angeal talked to Mary, she had fallen into another crying fit. Crying took a lot out of Mary, and she had fallen asleep again. She didn't hear her friends enter her room. She was woken up by Piper shaking her gently.

"Leave me alone." She mumbled, as she pulled her blanket over her face.

"Sorry, but no." Piper said. "We are worried about you. You haven't talked to anyone all day." Piper said, as she wrapped her arms around Mary, pulling her into a tight hug. "What's wrong?" She asked her.

Mary resisted for a second, and then let herself be wrapped in Piper's hug. She was upset with Alanna for what she did, and possibly Ryu for letting it happen, but she knew that Piper was not awake by that time. She took a deep breath, hoping that she would not start crying again.

"I'm sorry." Alanna said, before Mary could begin explaining what was wrong. She knew what was bothering her friend, and she didn't mean to cause her such pain. "I didn't think it would end this way. I didn't mean it to, I promise." She pleaded. Mary just buried her face in Piper's shoulder.

"I can't go out there. Not now. Not after what I said." Mary started. "I can't face Angeal, not after…" Her words were cut off by a hiccup. "Not again…" She moaned.

"No one is judging you Mary, especially not Angeal. You were asleep; no one even believes that you actually knew what was going on. Angeal is worried about you; I don't think he takes offense to anything you said…" Ryu said, trying to comfort Mary, while sitting on the bed and rubbing her back.

"He said no. He rejected me. He knows, and he rejected me." Mary said into Piper's shoulder between hiccups, tears forming in her eyes again.

"He only said no because he thinks he is supposed to. He wasn't rejecting you Mary. And he seemed pretty confused and pretty tipsy at that point." Alanna said, trying to calm Mary down. "And you didn't really say that much. We only got little snips of what you were saying." She added, trying to ease her friends mind.

Mary started to relax in Piper's hold. Ryu continued to rub her back, as she lifted her head from Piper's shoulder.

"Let's go get something to eat." Ryu offered.

"I don't wanna." Mary whined.

"Aren't you the one that made the rule against hiding in your room crying?" Alanna asked her.  
"Fine." Mary said, as she got up and followed her friends out to the kitchen. They sat in silence as Mary ate her dinner.

"Hey Mary." Zack said, as he bounded into the kitchen. He walked over to her and hugged her from behind.

"Zack." Piper warned, as Mary's breathing increased.

"It's okay Mary. We still like you. Don't worry about it." He said, as he released Mary from his arms. She looked up at him from the table.

"Thanks." She said, as she got up and put her plate in the sink. After taking a deep breath, she walked into the living room and plopped herself on the couch. Angeal looked up when Zack bounded in the room and plopped himself on the floor in front of Mary.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked her, trying to hide the worry in his voice.

"Yeah. I'll be alright. Sorry about earlier." She said, while still looking down at Zack while she played with his hair. The three other girls walked into the room and found their usual places to sit. Piper kept checking on Mary, making sure she hadn't shown signs of another break down. When she was confident that she was okay, she curled up into Matti's lap and began to fall asleep.

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"You know, that was really sweet what you did for Mary." Piper said the next day, while she was standing in the elevator with Zack.

"It was nothing." He replied casually.

"It was just the right thing. You always seem to know how to make people feel better." Piper told him.

"I'm just a people person I guess." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

* * *

"Thank you for your help, I appreciate it." Angeal said, as he finished the last bit of his paperwork.

"No problem. I couldn't sleep anymore anyways." Mary replied, with a smile on her face. She had the day off, to rest and prepare for Genesis' birthday. Though they were encouraged to try and get extra sleep, she knew she wouldn't need it. She was a morning person by nature, but she could easily stay up late into the night, as long as there was something to do.

"You aren't going to fall asleep on us again tonight, are you?" Angeal asked her teasingly.

"No. I'll be too busy dancing. Don't worry; your arm will be safe." She replied, giggling a little. She was glad that both she and Angeal were able to joke about the incident. She had been highly embarrassed and spent a day alone in her room, but had since gotten over that. No one acted differently around her, and Angeal hadn't brought up anything that she said, so she decided to let it go, and joke about it instead.

"Good. I think it has taken enough abuse from you these last few months." He joked.

"Hey." Mary protested. "I don't do it on purpose." She said, pretending to pout like the puppy had done to her many times. Angeal laughed lightly and shook his head. When they arrived at the apartment, he turned to head back to his own room.

"You may not need extra sleep, but I think I will. I'll see you before the party." He said, as he turned and walked away.

"See you then." Mary said with an excited smile on her face.

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Mary stood at her mirror, getting frustrated as she pulled her hair down for the fifth time. She had decided it was time to get ready, and was already in her dress and heels. She was happy with the way she looked in her dress, but she couldn't decide what to do with her hair. It was a battle she went through almost every time she tried to dress up. She had brushed her hair and let it dry after her shower, and then put it in a side-sweeping braid, but had decided it was too messy and took it down. She then tried a simple bun, but didn't like the shape it gave her face. After a few more attempts at putting her hair up, she decided to just leave it down. She combed through it again, making sure that she was happy with the placement of the part. She then looked back to the mirror to begin putting on her makeup. She was very glad that she had a collection of makeup that was waterproof, because she knew she would be doing a lot of dancing, and therefore would be doing a lot of sweating as well.

When Mary felt as though she was ready, she took a final look in the mirror. She smiled brightly. She finally looked the way she had always wanted to. She still did not have the most feminine shape, but she was happy with how the dress looked on her. It showed off the smallest part of her waist, and gave an illusion of hips. She did a twirl and giggled before heading out to the living room. Unsurprisingly, she was the first one there, so she sat down and waited for the others to join her.

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Mary's eyes went wide when she saw Angeal walk into the room. He was wearing slacks, a button down shirt, and a vest. It was a very good look for him, and it took Mary by surprise. She was used to the sight of him in his uniform and his casual clothes. She forced herself to look down at her hands, to keep herself from staring. When she looked back up, Angeal was sitting next to her.

"You look very nice." He said to her simply, trying to hide the blush that was starting to form. Luckily for both of them, the Turks were entering the room at about the same time, and the others appeared to be distracted.

"So do you. Green is a good color for you." Mary replied with a smile. As she looked over his clothes, she figured that Gen had probably helped him pick out his clothes as well. "Did Gen pick it out for you?" She asked him.

"Maybe, maybe not." He replied, looking away from her. She giggled a little.

"So, yes. Don't worry; he helped pick out my outfit too." She teased him. Angeal raised an eyebrow, and decided that he would have to thank Genesis later. He had been worried about what Mary would choose for a dress, particularly after the incident with Alanna and Ryu. He was glad that Mary's dress was modest in both length and fit. "Looks like the man of the hour has arrived." She said, as Genesis finally entered the room.

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Mary couldn't stop smiling as she walked into the club, her hand hooked in Angeal's elbow. She was nervous with all the people taking her picture, so she tried to focus on Angeal instead, which was not at all hard for her to do. She knew that this night would provide her with many memories to hang on to. Though nothing Angeal did was romantic in intention, she still found the little gestures incredibly cute, and she smiled every time she remembered them. She continued smiling as they entered the club and took their seats in a private booth.

Mary looked around, taking in the sights and sounds of the club. She liked the atmosphere; the music was good and the lights created a good dancing atmosphere. She couldn't wait to get out on the huge floor and start dancing.

Angeal couldn't help but smile at how happy Mary seemed to be. He didn't understand why she was so excited, but he was glad he got to see her so happy. Even though she seemed to be better, he was worried that she was still upset from earlier in the week. But now she seemed to not care whatsoever, and he was glad.

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Once the group had finished with a few shots and their first round of drinks, Mary was finally able to drag Ryu, Alanna, and Chloe to the dance floor. She started swaying in time with the music, and within a few minutes completely lost herself. She closed her eyes, and let the music move her. She continued dancing with her eyes closed until she heard Zack and Reno join the group. She opened her eyes and giggled as Zack bounded into the group and started dancing like a fool. He went from person to person, swinging their arms and spreading his contagious smile.

"Smile Mary, I think 'Geal's watching." Zack said when he got to her. She blushed, but smiled wider and continued dancing, throwing a glance over her shoulder every once in a while. Sure enough, she caught Angeal watching her a few times, and so she continued to dance with a smile on her face. Mary had always had a lot of confidence on the dance floor, even if she lacked it everywhere else. She was determined to get Angeal to dance with her, and the first step was getting his interest, and she felt confident that she could do that with her dancing.

"Bathroom break, I'll be right back." Ryu said, as she started to turn around, trying to figure out where the bathroom was. When she located it, she started in that direction. She turned to Reno quickly, as if she had gotten a sudden thought. "Behave yourself." She said, as she pointed to him.

"Yes, neesan. I'll be a good boy, yo." He replied, putting on his best innocent face. Ryu shook her head as she continued on her path. Once she was out of sight, he snuck his way over to Mary. Mary squeaked when she felt arms wrap around her waist lightly. She opened her eyes and saw Reno looking at her.

"Reno." She said in warning, though she continued dancing. "I already told you…"

"I know, just trying to make the big man jealous." He interrupted her. "If this doesn't get him to make a move, I don't know what will, yo." He said, as he moved even closer to Mary. Alanna rolled her eyes and turned to dance with Zack and Chloe.

"Is he looking?" Mary asked, afraid to look over her shoulder.

"Oh yeah, and he looks a little jealous. Told you it would work." Reno replied.

"Thanks. Now I guess I owe you, huh?" She asked, as she put an arm on Reno's shoulder and leaning in to his ear. "See the blonde, short green dress? She's been eyeing you for a few minutes. I think she may have a thing for redheads." She said, moving them both around so that Reno could see who she was talking about.

"I see. Nice find, I may just have to explore that option." He said, removing his hands from her waist. Mary just shook her head as she rejoined the group, only a few seconds before Ryu returned. The girls continued dancing for a while longer before they needed a break.

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Angeal sat in the booth, examining the table. He was not a fan of the club, but he would sit there and deal with it for his best friend. He sighed and shook his head as Zack gave in and joined the girls on the dance floor. Angeal's eyes found Mary as he looked over to the group, and he couldn't keep himself from staring as he watched her sway in time with the music. He could see how happy she seemed to be, dancing with her friends. He forced himself to look back down to the table, he didn't want to be caught staring. But he couldn't control himself for long, and found himself continuously looking up to watch her dance.

As Angeal looked to the dance floor, he felt his face turn red. He clenched his fists and looked back down at the table. When he looked back up, he was upset that he hadn't been mistaken the first time. Reno was dancing with Mary, and his hands were around her waist. Angeal took a deep breath and tried to relax his hands. He relaxed more when he saw Reno and Mary separate, and Reno took off to dance with someone else. He shook his head and finished off his drink, before looking back down at the table.

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Mary was feeling on top of the world; she was dancing with Angeal. She had expected the night to be fun, but she could not imagine how great it would feel dancing with him. It had been rather funny at first, because he really could not dance. He had told her that, but she had not really believed him. She had to try really hard to stifle her laugh when she had dragged him to the dance floor and began moving.

"See, it's not that hard. Just reflect what I'm doing, like when you first taught me how to wield my buster jr." She said, as she swayed easily back and forth. Within a few minutes, he seemed to pick up on it, and he started to relax a little.

Mary smiled as she continued swaying, throwing in some random moves here and there. She wanted to move closer, and dance the way she had with Reno, but she worried that Angeal would get uncomfortable, and wouldn't continue dancing with her. Instead, Mary kept a small distance between them as she danced, though she did throw him flirty smiles every once in a while.

Mary was happy and relaxed, until she felt hands grab her from behind and tickle her. She screamed and jumped forward, landing in Angeal's arms. When she turned around, she spotted Reno's red hair as he snuck his way through the crowd. "Reno." She muttered, before she realized where she was. She became bright red when she turned her head back to Angeal. She realized that her arms were around his neck, and she was hanging off of him. She blushed even more when she felt his arms wrapped around her back in a protective manner. "Sorry." She said, as she relaxed her arms.

"No need to apologize." He said, as he slowly lowered her to the floor. They stood still for a few moments, not removing their hands from each other. Mary shook her head and started dancing again, once she realized they were still in the club and there was music playing. She smiled brightly when Angeal's hands stayed around her lightly, and he didn't object to her arms remaining on his shoulders. There was still more space between them than she would have liked, but they were closer now, and she was immensely happy. It wasn't long however before Angeal seemed to need a break, much to Mary's dismay. She followed him back to the booth, where they took some time to sit and catch their breath.

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Mary was thrilled when they went returned to dancing, as Angeal placed his hands in the same place they were before, and she put her arms around his shoulders. She kept a small distance between them as they danced, until the end of the night, when she finally began to tire. She continued swaying, but her head started to fall and before she knew it her head was resting on Angeal's chest.

"I thought you said you wouldn't fall asleep?" Angeal said, gently shaking Mary.

"I wasn't sleeping, just resting." She said, as she tried to stifle a yawn.

"I think the night is about over. We should go get our things." Angeal said, as he started guiding Mary back to the booth. Mary let him guide her without resisting. Once they collected their things, the group loaded into the limo, and sat in silence on the way back to their apartments.

Angeal smiled as he sat in the limo, with Mary leaning against his chest. It had been a long time since he had felt so relaxed and comfortable. When Mary started snuggling into his arm, he moved it and wrapped it around her shoulder, letting her cuddle into his body. She seemed to fall asleep within a few minutes. He looked around the limo, and saw that everyone was just as exhausted as he was. He laughed lightly when he saw that even Zack was fighting to stay awake.

When the ride was over, Angeal gently nudged Mary awake. She groaned a little, but got up and got out of the limo. She was too tired to notice that Angeal had let her sleep on him, or that he wrapped his arm around her side when she swayed slightly in the elevator. She could only think about lying down in her comfortable bed and sleeping. She followed the group out of the elevator, and blindly walked towards her room. She giggled as Angeal caught her when she tripped on the edge of the carpet.

When Mary found her door, she started opening it, and then she remembered that Angeal was still behind her. She turned around quickly and jumped up to hug Angeal. "Thanks for dancing with me." She said, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a quick kiss on the side of his cheek.

"You're welcome, Mary." He replied, blushing lightly as he hugged her back. After a few moments he released his grip and slowly lowered her to the floor.

"G'night 'Geal." Mary said, as she turned and walked into her apartment. Before hearing his reply, she shut the door and went to her room to collapse on her bed. She stayed where she was for a few minutes, before she became uncomfortable and had to get up to remove her jewelry and dress. Once she was more comfortable and in her pajamas, she curled up in her bed. She was asleep within minutes, with a large smile on her face.

Angeal stood outside Mary's door for a minute, stunned by what had happened. When she had turned to hug him, a very inappropriate thought had raced through his mind. He had been reluctant to end the hug, wanting to hold onto the night as long as he could. But he had let her go, and now she was gone. Once he regained his composure, he turned and went to his own room. When he entered his room, he collapsed on his bed, and almost fell asleep. He realized that he had sweat through his clothes, and he smelled awful, but he was far too tired to take a shower. He shed his clothes and fell back on the bed. Before he was able to get up and retrieve something to wear, he was fast asleep, a small smile on his lips.

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Later that morning, Mary woke with a smile on her face. She had dreamt of dancing with Angeal all night, though only half of it she was asleep for. She turned to the table by her bed and grabbed her watch to check the time.-_1100… I wonder what time we got back last night-_ She thought to herself. She stretched her arms over her head and realized that she smelled awful.

"Smells like I need a shower." She said to the empty room. She got up and grabbed a towel, and then walked into the bathroom to turn on the water. When she got in and the water started to hit her, she woke up even more. Now that she was more awake, she was even more aware of her good mood, and she started singing. She wasn't that surprised to find that her throat was dry and her voice was a little raspy.

Once she was out of the shower and dressed, Mary made her way out to the kitchen. She continued humming, and was practically dancing around the apartment. She was so distracted that she didn't even notice Zack, who was passed out on one of the couches. Mary got herself a glass of water and downed it as she waited for her toast. She continued humming while eating, until Ryu came out and reprimanded her, and forced her back into her own room.

"Someone's cranky… and it's not even morning anymore." Mary mumbled as she made her way back to her room. Mary had no feelings of a hangover, and she was well rested so she didn't understand why she was being forced back into her room. She didn't know how to amuse herself for the few hours Ryu was telling her to, so she decided that a light workout might be a good idea. She pulled out her exercise mat, ball, and her free weights_.-And to think, Angeal and Matti said it was stupid to buy these, that I would never use them_- Mary thought, as she put her headphones in and began her workout.

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Zack is not the oblivious puppy we all think he is... and Alanna is a butthead, but that is nothing new, but she knows once she makes Mary cry that she went a bit too far.

Song is The Internet is for Porn, from Avenue Q. If you haven't heard it, look it up, it is hilarious, as is the whole musical.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Short story today, just some frustrating cuteness between Mary and Angeal. Will he ever smarten up? Will have to wait and see what goes on in Doppelgangers to see when I can post again after this. If you have caught up to this point you don't have to do any additional reading for this one. As always, let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: FF7 belongs entirely to Square Enix

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Chapter 21-22

"Hey Ryu, what's up." Mary said, as she answered her PHS. She was out on a mission with Angeal, and Ryu had been the one to fly them there.

"Something came up, I need to head back and pick up Morgan to go backup Reno and Rude." She replied. "You two are going to have to stay for the night. I checked you in and dropped your bags in your room." She informed her friend.

"Room?" Mary asked her, her heart rate increasing slightly.

"Yeah, they only had one room left, and it's a single. Sorry." Ryu said, as she got into the helicopter. "I gotta go, yo. I'll let you know when we send someone to get you."

"Thanks." Mary said, as she hung up her phone.

"Is there something wrong?" Angeal asked when Mary turned back to him. He had noticed that she was no longer following him when she answered the phone, and waited patiently for the conversation to be over.

"Something happened within the Turks, Ryu is needed for backup. We are staying the night. She checked us in before she left." She answered. She figured it would be best to leave out the information about the single room. She was unsure of whether she was happy about it or not, but she was sure it would upset him. She didn't want him to be distracted, since they had yet to find the monster they were looking for. Angeal let out a loud sigh without responding. "They will send someone for us tomorrow." She added.

"Well, let's get back to the monster. I would like to be back before dark." He said, turning and walking down the path. Mary rolled her eyes and followed. Things had been tense sense Genesis' birthday, or rather the morning after. Angeal had decided not to take a side, and that ended up getting him in trouble with Genesis. Mary and the doppelgangers didn't choose a side either, but there was still a lot of tension through the group. The bond that had been made between the Turks and the SOLDIERs was broken, and it left everyone with bad feelings. There was even tension within the SOLDIERs, and it was leaving Angeal in an odd mood.

Mary had been in a fantastic mood the day after the club, but it was ruined by the fight between Tseng and Genesis. She had hoped to continue making small steps forward with Angeal, but with the tension in the apartment, she felt it was out of place. She had been happy that they were finally on a mission together, but now her good mood was gone, since Angeal barely spoke to her. She knew that Genesis was still was not talking to him, and she could only imagine how horrible that would feel. She had never been in a fight with someone that lasted more than a few days, and it had already been three weeks. She wished that something would happen soon, because she didn't know if she could stand his gloomy attitude anymore.

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It was dark outside by the time they had found and disposed of the monster. Mary went to the front desk of the Inn to get the key to their room. As she started to lead the way up the stairs, she decided to break the news to Angeal.

"So, apparently there was only one room left when Ryu checked us in." She said, hoping that he would not get angry with her. "And it's a single." She added apprehensively.

"Excuse me?" Angeal replied, stopping in his step.

"We have to share a room. Don't worry, the person at the front desk said they delivered extra blankets, so I can just sleep on the floor." Mary answered, continuing down the hall to the door. Angeal didn't respond until they entered the room.

"You don't need to sleep on the floor." Angeal said, as he removed his Buster sword and leaned it carefully against the wall. Mary's eyes widened and she held her breathe, stopping in her place. "You should take the bed, I can take the floor." Angeal said, when he noticed that Mary froze.

"That's not necessary." Mary began, once she relaxed a little. "I can sleep anywhere, and I actually find the floor to be comfortable. Plus, you outrank me, you get the bed." She said, taking a blanket and rolling it out on the floor.

"Mary…" Angeal began, before Mary interrupted him.

"Do not make me go all Turk on your ass. Just take the bed, please." She said, glaring at him. She really did not want to continue the argument. She would prefer to share the bed with him, but since she doubted that it would happen, she would take the floor.

"Alright, I won't argue any farther. What do we have for food?" He asked, as his stomach gurgled.

"Dinner is on its way up, should be just a minute. I didn't ask what it was, I'm sure Ryu chose something you will like." She answered, as she opened her bag and pulled out the pajamas that were always in her mission bag. "I'll be right back." She said, as she entered the bathroom to change. When she emerged, she noticed that the food had arrived, and Angeal was already eating. He looked up, looking a bit guilty.

"I'm sorry. I was really hungry." He said, as he lowered his fork.

"Don't worry about it." She reassured him, as she sat and started eating. They ate in silence.

"Is there a shower in the bathroom?" He asked her once he was done.

"Yeah, and there are clean towels. I can call down for more if you need them." She answered, while moving to her makeshift bed on the floor.

"I should be fine." He said, as he walked into the bathroom. Mary pulled out her laptop and checked her email. When the shower turned off, she heard a thud against the wall. She sat for a minute, trying to decide what to do.

"You alright in there?" Mary asked.

"Fine." She heard in reply. Mary shrugged and went back her laptop.

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When Angeal got out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist, and started drying himself with the other. When he was dry, he reached down for his clothes, only to find that he had forgotten to grab them from his bag. He sighed heavily and let his head thump against the wall. After a few minutes, he decided to take a chance and opened the door.

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When Mary heard the door, she looked up and was surprised with what she saw. Angeal walked out of the room with just a towel wrapped around his waist. She couldn't help but stare at him; it was one of the most amazing things she had ever seen. She could feel her body get warm, and realized that was staring and doing nothing else, so she tried to turn her attention back to her computer screen. When she looked back up, Angeal had retreated back to the bathroom.

Mary shook her head and tried to clear the confusion that resided there. She was pretty sure that Angeal wasn't trying to make a move, though she wanted him to, but at the same time he was doing things that were driving her crazy. She was now really regretting having to share a room with him, because it would be a very awkward night. She was glad that Angeal didn't seem to have as keen of a scent of smell as Alanna did. Alanna would tease her all the time about smelling funny whenever he was around. Mary closed her laptop and pushed her face into her pillow.

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Much to Angeal's dismay, when he opened the door, Mary looked up. He had hoped that she would be too distracted to see him in such a state. He was caught by surprise when she looked at him, and he had a hard time finding his clothes in his bag. He swore silently to himself when he made it back to the bathroom and put his clothes on. He decided to brush his teeth and go to bed early. When he left the bathroom, he went straight to the bed and pulled the blanket up around him. "Goodnight Mary." He said, before he turned over and closed his eyes.

"Goodnight Angeal." Mary replied, as she got up and turned off the lights. "Sweet dreams." She added, as she lowered herself down in her own bed. A smile crossed Angeal's face at her simple comment.

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Mary stayed still, trying to clear her mind as she lay on the floor. It took all the self control she had not to crawl into the bed with Angeal. When she was sure that he had finally fallen asleep, she pushed herself up and reached for her bag. Without much searching, she was able to find her plushie, which she then squeezed into a hug and laid back down with. She thought it was silly, but she always slept better when she had her plushie with her, which is why she always packed it in her mission bag, whether they were planning on staying somewhere or not. She didn't want Angeal to know that she still needed the plushie to cuddle with, so she waited until he was asleep, and she would put it away before he woke up. With the plushie tightly wrapped in her arms, so turned on her side and was asleep within minutes.

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Angeal turned over in his bed. He was suddenly no longer on a small bed in an Inn, but sitting on a couch in the apartment, with Mary leaning on his shoulder. He could feel the warmth of her forehead against his arm, and the chill of her fingers wrapped around his forearm. He could tell that someone was talking to her, and she was trying to hide her face while she answered. He sat there, trying to focus on what was being said.

_'Don't wanna upset 'Geal.' _He heard her say, as her head dug deeper into his arm. He furrowed his brow, trying to figure out why she had said that. He felt as though he knew what was going on, but only remembered parts of it. This was the night they played the drinking game, he told himself.

_'Very much, so warm…'_ He heard, trying to focus in again. He tried to remember what the question was, and it seemed as though time rewound, and Mary was turning over to lean on his arm again. He heard another familiar voice, but he couldn't place it.

_'Do you want to sleep with Angeal?'_ He heard, as he felt Mary turn again and hide her face in his arm. He wasn't able to focus long enough to hear the answer, as the next thing he knew, Mary was in his arms again, but this time they were standing. He could see bright lights, and could almost hear music. He looked back to see Mary looking him in the eye, before she whispered an apology and started to slide down his body. He began to feel a strange warm sensation start to fill him. He almost felt as though he was swaying, and he heard the music start to fade.

He was startled again as Mary threw herself into his arms. They were in the apartment, in front of her door. Time seemed to stand still, as he stood there holding her in his arms. When she finally let go and left, he stood still, thoughts spinning through his head. –_Why did you let her go_- he thought to himself –_she was right there, in your arms_-. His mind started yelling, telling him to make his move, to stop being stupid.

He felt as though he was swaying again, and he found himself in a new place. He was standing in a bedroom, with just a towel. Mary was sitting on the floor staring at him. Time stopped again, and he looked right into her eyes. He began feeling very warm, and felt as though he was sweating. The moment lasted longer than it should have; he stood there, transfixed in Mary's gaze. She finally put her head down, and he was able to move. He didn't remember lying down, but there he was, curled in his blankets.

'_Sweet dreams' _He heard, as his head started to spin. He woke with a start, and sat up, trying to take in his surroundings. He quickly remembered that he was in the Inn, and he checked the clock to see the time. It was only three in the morning, and he decided to try and go back to sleep. There would still be a few hours before transportation would arrive to bring them back. He suddenly remembered that he was not in the room alone, and he sat up to check on Mary.

He smiled when he saw that she was sleeping peacefully on the floor. He was a little confused when it seemed as though she was holding onto something. He got off of the bed, and quietly walked around the bed to see what she had. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the plushie in her arms, and let out a soft chuckle. Mary shifted and opened her eyes, looking over to Angeal.

"What's so funny?" She asked him, while rubbing her hand over her eyes.

"Nothing. I'm sorry for waking you." Angeal replied, startled by her waking up.

"S'okay. Are you alright?" Mary asked, as she sat up. She noticed that Angeal was covered in sweat and looked troubled.

"I'm fine. Just woke up from a dream is all. I don't have them very often." He said, as he lowered himself to the floor. "I just wanted to check on you, make sure you were comfortable on the floor." He added.

"What was the dream about?" Mary asked, moving her way to sit next to Angeal. She was worried, she knew there were things that they needed to be careful of, and she wanted to make sure those things were not beginning.

"Just some memories, at least most of them were memories. I can't fully tell." He admitted, looking down at his hands.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Mary asked, putting her hand on his arm reassuringly.

"I don't know if I can." Angeal answered, trying to look away from her. He still needed time to think about what the dream had meant.

"That's fine. You don't need to tell me." Mary said, squeezing his arm slightly. "I don't have dreams very often either. Or if I do, I never remember them." She added, trying to lighten the mood.

"Did I wake you from a dream?" He asked her, finally looking over to her.

"Maybe, I don't really remember. But if I was dreaming, I'm sure it was a good one. I tend to remember the bad ones when I wake up." Mary replied, leaning her head on Angeal's arm, the way she usually did.

"Can I ask you a question?" Angeal said, after a few minutes of silence.

"Sure." Mary replied, a little hesitant.

"Do you always sleep with your plushie?" He asked her, with a slightly teasing tone.

"Umm… Yeah, I do. It helps me sleep." Mary said with a blush starting to form. Angeal smiled when he felt the heat rise in Mary's cheeks.

"I'm glad then, it's good that it brings you comfort." He replied with a smile. "I wouldn't want my gil going to waste." He added with a soft chuckle, and Mary giggled with him.

"What time is it anyway?" Mary asked Angeal when they stopped laughing. She was still really tired, and was trying not to yawn, meaning that it was probably still the middle of the night.

"About three." He replied. "We should probably go back to sleep. I'm sorry for waking you. Are you sure you are alright on the floor?" He asked as he turned to look at her.

"I'm alright, I was perfectly comfortable. Though, it is kinda cold now, but I'm sure I'll be fine once I get back under the blanket." She answered, her eyes meeting his. She was warm and comfortable sitting so close to him, and it was taking every bit of control she had to not ask to share the bed.

"If you are sure. Sleep well, and I'll see you in a few hours." Angeal said, as he got up and made his way to the bed.

"You too." Mary said with a yawn, as she curled back up on the floor and covered herself with her blanket. Mary felt herself start to fall asleep, and she hoped that she could continue her dream where it left off. She had lied when she said she hadn't been dreaming. When she was finally asleep, she could feel herself swaying, and could feel those strong familiar hands on her waist.

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Mary woke a few hours later, as the first rays of sunlight started to filter into the room. She sat up, and stretched her arms, which were a little sore from sleeping on the floor. She wiped her eyes, and got up to go to the bathroom. When she returned, she sat back down on her bed and wrapped her blanket around her shoulders, and pulled out her PHS and her laptop. She still hadn't received any messages from Tseng or Ryu, so she figured she would still have a few hours until they would be picked up.

Mary sat on the floor, trying to decide what to do. She knew it would be at least an hour until Angeal would wake up, and she didn't have any work that she needed to do. She also didn't have her crocheting with her, because she had not been expecting to stay. After a few minutes, she decided that she would do her usual mission morning workout. She was hesitant with Angeal sleeping in the room, but she figured it would be alright if she was quiet. She knew he slept deepest in the last few hours of the morning, and it was difficult to wake him up until he had gotten enough sleep, unless it was an emergency. Making her decision, Mary grabbed her shorts and sports bra out of her bag, along with her music player.

Once she was changed, she cleared a spot for herself in one of the corners of the room, and began with a few stretches. Within a few minutes, she had begun her push-ups and sit-ups, and was completely into her music. She failed to notice when Angeal woke up and made his way to the bathroom.

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Angeal woke to a sunlit room. He rubbed his eyes lightly before getting out of the bed to go to the bathroom. He was glad that he did not have any more dreams that night, as they seemed to cause his body some stress. When he was done washing his hands, he splashed water onto his face, waking himself up even more. He realized that he hadn't seen Mary, and there was a chance she was still asleep. He smiled, wondering what she looked like in the morning. He had never managed to get up early enough to see what she looked like when she first woke up, he had only seen her after she had showered and readied herself for the day. He quietly opened the door in an attempt to not wake Mary, and was surprised when he looked to the floor and Mary was not there. He looked up and around the room, and found her doing push-ups in a corner.

Angeal turned red and his eyes widened when Mary flipped over to her back to begin her sit-ups, because he could now see that she was wearing only shorts and a sports bra. He took a couple of deep breaths, and forced himself to look away. He couldn't keep his eyes away long, and looked back to examine her body. He could see the definition in all of her muscles, and felt a little guilty. He knew that as his double, she had to continue to bulk up and develop muscles that would create an even less feminine shape. He knew she had issues with her body type, and was constantly trying to embrace her femininity. At the same time, he couldn't help but admire the strength and endurance that he knew were housed within her muscular body. His eyes widened again when she stood and stretched her arms above her head, and her eyes met his.

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Mary froze in place as she stretched her arms. She had her headphones in and was enjoying the music, and so she hadn't noticed that Angeal had gotten up. She was also taken by surprise to find him watching her. She was confused for a moment, until she realized what was causing him to stare. She ripped her headphones out of her ears as she reached for her bag to pull out a shirt. Though she was comfortable with her body, she was not used to showing it off, especially not to Angeal.

"Sorry. I didn't think you would be awake for a while." Mary stumbled over her words as she pulled her shirt on over her head. Angeal shook his head, trying to come up with an explanation as to why he was staring.

"Do you make a habit of not wearing a shirt?" He asked finally, trying to draw the attention away from himself.

"When I workout. The shirt is warm and it just gets covered with sweat. Usually there aren't people around though, sorry." Mary answered, looking down at the floor.

"Well it is a bad habit." Angeal said simply.

"Why? I'm not showing off anything that is inappropriate, I can fend for myself if someone was to attack me for it." Mary said, she couldn't understand why Angeal was lecturing her. "I finally have a body I'm proud of. It makes me feel good to know that I can do that and not look disgusting." She added, with a tone of sadness in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Angeal asked as he made his way over to Mary.

"Even when I was an athlete, I never had an athlete's body." Mary started. "I hated being around so many people who looked like athletes when I looked like, well, the way I looked when I got here." She continued, shaking her head. "It was even worse when we would go for runs in the summer or would go river running. Everyone else would take their shirts off, but I was never able to. I wasn't happy with the way I looked, and I always felt a little left out. I felt different, I always did. Even if I was a better competitor than some of my teammates, I always felt like they were still better than me in some way." Angeal looked down at the floor, now upset with himself for bringing up such painful memories for her.

"Why didn't you ever tell me? We've talked about your past experiences, but you've never brought that up." Angeal asked after a few moments of silence.

"I had forgotten, I guess. I try to not think about those things. It's thinking like that that used to hold me back." Mary answered, trying to calm herself and rid herself of the painful memories. "I try to focus more on who I am now, and how successful I have been since coming here." She added with a small smile to Angeal.

"That is a good way to think." Angeal said in response. Before Mary could respond, her PHS rang. She looked down at the screen, and saw that it was Ryu.

"Hey Ryu, how'd it go?" She asked, grateful of the interruption.

"Fine, we got everything settled. Sorry I didn't give you an update. I'm heading out now; I should be there in two hours. I'll meet you where I left you." Ryu said, biting back a yawn. She had been up rather late, and it was still pretty early in the morning.

"Alright, see you then." Mary replied. "And, thanks, Ryu." She added.

"No problem. Details when you get back?" She asked, glad that she hadn't sensed any anger or sarcasm in Mary's tone.

"Yup. Bye." Mary said as she hung up the PHS. She looked over to Angeal. "Ryu's on her way, she should be about two hours."She informed him. "I should probably go shower. Then we can go see what they have for breakfast." Mary said, as she lifted herself off of the couch. She held her breath as she grabbed her spare uniform from her bag and made her way to the bathroom, hoping that Angeal would not start up the lecture again. Luckily for her he didn't, and instead just nodded his head.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Short chapter to go along with the chapter posted for Doppelgangers. We will be at vericon all weekend, so nothing new, and it may be some time before anything gets posted. As usual, read the other one first, and tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: FF7 belongs to square enix

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"Have any of you seen Mary?" Angeal asked the doppelgangers, after he knocked on her door and got no response.

"Not today. I figured she would be training." Alanna replied.

"I checked the training rooms; she isn't in any of them. She won't answer her phs either." Angeal said, as he paced back and forth slightly, trying to think of where else he could look.

"Maybe she went for a run or something." Piper suggested.

"Don't worry about her Angeal, wherever she is, she can handle herself. If she needs help, she'll call." Ryu told Angeal reassuringly. Without replying, Angeal walked towards Genesis' room and knocked loudly on the door.

"What?" Gen said sourly as he opened the door.

"Did you train with Mary today?"

"No, I was in the meeting with you, or don't you remember?" He replied sarcastically.

"So you haven't seen her at all?" Angeal asked.

"Not since yesterday. Now if that is all, I would like to go back to my book." Gen said, turning back to his room. Angeal sighed and went to his own room, taking out his phs to try calling Mary again. He wasn't used to not seeing or hearing from Mary, and he was a little worried.

When he had gotten out of his meeting early, he had hoped to get a chance to train with her, since it had been a few days. When he couldn't find her, he started to worry about where she could be, and the worry continued to grow throughout the search.

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Mary closed her phs after seeing that it was Angeal calling her again. She was walking around Midgar, enjoying the outdoors and the time away from everyone else. The atmosphere was still slightly toxic in the apartment, and it was starting to wear on Mary.

For the two weeks prior Mary had been alternating training with Angeal and Genesis, and with all the 1sts in a meeting, Mary thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of the break. Whenever things got really stressful, Mary knew that taking a long walk by herself was the most effective way to clear her head. It was something that she did a lot growing up, since her home life had been toxic growing up.

_It's like high school all over again._ Mary thought to herself. She remembered how she had spent as much time as possible at school or at her friend's houses when she was in high school. When she was home, she was usually outside walking or running in the woods. _I wish there were woods somewhere closer._ She had grown up in a small town, and the woods were her escape. She loved climbing trees, playing on the outskirts of ponds, and following deer trails. She had grown up spending her time walking around the woods, and she was always glad that her mother wasn't overprotective, it meant that she could explore for hours or the whole day and not get into trouble for it.

Mary had been walking for almost two hours, and she could tell that a lot of the tension in her mind was already gone. She had no idea where she was, but that really didn't matter to her. She had a good sense of direction, and once she had been somewhere once she would never forget it. She had been taking random roads whenever she felt like it, and so she was somewhere on the outskirts of Midgar. Mary figured that when she wanted to get back it would be fairly simple. Midgar could be confusing if you lived on a small road, but Mary lived at ShinRa, and it was pretty simple to find, being right in the center of the round city.

Mary shoved her hands in her sweatshirt pocket as she walked, enjoying the fresher air and the sunshine. She was glad that it was a really nice day outside, not cloudy as usual. She was also glad that she had chosen to wear cargo pants and her sweatshirt, making it so no one could identify her as either a SOLDIER or a Turk. This way, no one would bother her, and it would be harder for someone to find her when they eventually found out that she was gone.

With her hands in her pocket, Mary played with the burn mark that was on the back of her hand. She had been training with Genesis, and she often left with burns. She would be more upset with him if she hadn't been the one to agree to train with him. Since the fight, Gen had refused to train with any of the other 1sts, as he thought them not choosing sides meant that they were against him.

At first he had trained with large groups of cadets or lower level SOLDIERs, but Lazard and Sephiroth took away those privileges after he had sent multiple cadets to the infirmary. After that Mary offered to train with him, knowing that Alanna was still fighting with him, and Piper already had her hands full with Zack and Cloud. It was good for Mary, as Genesis was not afraid to push her, unlike Angeal. The only downside was that Mary was not very fond of fire, and Genesis strongly preferred to use his Fira materia. It was going well, and Mary had improved between weeks, but she was getting really close to slapping him at times.

Mary shook her head, trying to rid herself of negative thoughts. She wanted to be able to just walk and enjoy the moment and not think about anything. She rolled her eyes as her phs went off, and decided to ignore it.

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"Is everyone here?" Tseng asked, as he looked around the room. He had just finished a meeting with Lazard, and had to hand out the mission to his Turks and SOLDIER Turks.

"No, Mary is missing." Piper spoke up.

"Well where is she?" Tseng asked, going through his memory and clearly remembering sending the meeting message to her.

"We don't know. She has been gone all day." Alanna replied.

"I'll track her down, yo." Reno said and Tseng nodded. It was only a minute before Reno returned. "She appears to be in the outskirts of Midgar."

"So she did go for a walk. We'll fill her in when she gets back." Ryu said with a shrug. Tseng pinched his nose.

"Fine, but I hold you responsible if she is late tomorrow morning." Tseng replied as he got ready to go over the mission.

"Like that will be an issue. You do know she is a crazy morning right?" Alanna said.

"Good. Can I continue now?" Tseng said in a warning tone. Both Ryu and Alanna nodded and sunk down in their seats.

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Mary rolled her eyes when her phs rang yet again. She looked at her watch, and decided it was starting to get late and she should probably head back towards Shinra. It wasn't until she was in the building that she looked at her messages. _Ugh oh._ She said to herself, when she saw that the last message was not from Angeal, but from Tseng. She knew she was in for a lecture from Angeal, which may have been a motivator for not answering the phone. But being lectured by Tseng was not something Mary wanted to have happen. As a Turk, she was supposed to have her phs on her at all times, and ignoring a message from the director was not a smart idea.

Mary sighed as she decided to stop by the director's office before returning to the apartment. She knocked gently on the door, and almost to her dismay, Tseng invited her in.

"Sir. I'm sorry I missed the meeting. I needed some time to myself, and I thought it was a message from Angeal so I didn't see it until I came back." Mary explained.

"Here are the mission details. Read it on your own. We leave tomorrow at 0800." Tseng said, handing Mary her folder. "And don't let it happen again."

"Yes sir." Mary said, as she turned and left the office.

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Angeal sat in the living room reading, trying to distract himself from the fact that Mary was still missing. When the doppelgangers returned from their meeting they had informed him that she was in fact walking around Midgar. It is something that should have calmed him down, but somehow he was still very worried about her.

It took a lot of self control for Angeal to not jump off the couch when Mary entered the room. Instead he continued reading as Mary went to the kitchen to get food, knowing she must be hungry after walking around Midgar all day. After a few minutes, he got up and made his way to the kitchen. He sat at the table and looked at Mary.

"How was the meeting?" Mary asked casually.

"Long. Why didn't you answer your phone today?" He asked her. He had been hoping to ease into his questions, but that apparently was not going to happen.

"I needed some time to myself." Mary said with a shrug, smiling inwardly at the hint of concern in Angeal's voice.

"Well you could have answered and told me that. We were worried about you."He pointed out. "What if you had gotten hurt? We would have had no way to find you."

"The Turks would have found me. You shouldn't worry so much." Mary replied. "I need to read over this mission, and then go to bed." She said as she got up from her seat. "See you in the morning." She added with a yawn.

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When she was finished reading over the mission and had gotten ready for bed, Mary lay down and smiled. It had been a pretty good day. She had managed to de-stress, she hadn't gotten burned or bruised in a training session, she didn't get in trouble with Tseng, and she got Angeal to talk to her, even if for just a few minutes. It only took a few minutes for Mary to fall asleep; the day of walking had really taken a lot of her energy.

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"Hey big guy, been a while since I've worked with you." Elena flirted with Angeal as the Turks and SOLDIERs walked across the top of the Shinra building to the transporter. Mary glared at the Turk and clenched her fists. She was so close to finally getting what she wanted, and she was not going to let the bitchy Turk get in her way.

"Play nice, we already have enough drama going into this mission." Ryu warned her friend as she pushed past her to climb in the helicopter.

"I make no promises." Mary muttered as she followed her friend. She sat down with her group of friends, and waited for the SOLDIERs to get in. She scowled and could feel her anger bubble when she saw Elena wink and pat the seat next to her when Angeal stepped in. She was about to force Angeal to sit elsewhere, but smiled when she saw him shake his head and seat himself between Zack and Genesis. The miffed look on Elena's face made Mary smile a little on the inside, though Elena quickly shrugged it off.

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Mary sat in the transporter as the doppelgangers, the SOLDIERs, and the Turks made their way to their joint mission. Mary was sitting with her friends, but she couldn't help but watch Angeal for most of the ride. The tension between them had lifted for the most part since their mission together, but now, with Genesis sitting near him still ignoring him, Angeal's foul mood had returned. Mary wanted nothing more than to go sit next to Angeal and wrap her arms around him, or run her fingers through his hair in the way she knew now was comforting to him. She also wanted to rub it into Elena's face, she couldn't stand the Turk, and after the flirting before their departure she had officially made it onto Mary's shit list.

Instead, Mary sat in her seat, twiddling her thumbs. When a small fight broke out between Genesis and the Turks, Mary had to fight back the urge to slap Gen across the face, as well as the unwelcome Turk who had started it. She had been on friendly grounds with Gen after their shopping trip, but since the fight she couldn't stand his attitude. She had been training with him for the past few weeks, and though she did enjoy the sessions because they were challenging, she was close to slapping Genesis. She was mainly upset at the way Gen was treating Angeal, Zack, and especially Cloud. Instead, Mary just sat and glared at Genesis, until Ryu got up and Gibb's slapped him, then she had to fight back her laughter.

Once they were given their assignments, Mary sighed and followed Zack into the tunnel. She didn't mind Zack, she actually usually enjoyed being around him, he was like her little brother, except she got along with him much more than her own brother. But she couldn't help but be a little upset that she was not with Angeal, and she wasn't sure if she trusted Elena who had been paired with him. She had met the Turk a few times, and never got along with her. She was glad that Ryu was with them though; she knew Ryu could keep Elena in line. Mary sighed again as she had to yell to Zack to slow down.

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"ANGEAL!" Mary heard Ryu scream through the tunnels. A split second later, Mary heard an extremely loud noise and her head starting to pound. Fear instantly ran through her, and she collapsed into Zack.

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A/N: Sorry, I'm not going to give away the ending either… now to go comfort the puppy


	10. Chapter 10

Oh no…shit is going down. Sorry it has been so long, but couldn't post this until after the original story was posted, didn't want to ruin anything…. But luckily with that new chapter I can do a double post ! As always, let me know what you think, I am still very new to writing and feedback would be lovely.

Disclaimer: ff7 belongs entirely to square enix

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When Mary finally caught her breath, she realized that she was now sitting on the ground leaning on Zack. She had collapsed when she heard Ryu scream, and apparently Zack had caught her. Mary scrambled to her feet, Zack a second behind her. They gave each other a panicked look, neither one of them knowing what to do.

"Guys, let's go. I can hear the others, I'm sure they are going to find them." Piper said, as she motioned down a tunnel. Mary and Zack took off after Piper, not paying attention to where they were going, both frantically trying to calm themselves down.

When they finally made it to the tunnel where Ryu and Angeal were, Zack and Mary both saw Angeal on the ground. Zack ran to Angeal's side, while Mary stopped in her place. She also saw Ryu, who appeared to be being healed by Genesis. When she heard that she was alright, she let out a held breath. She forced herself to take a deep breath in and then went to kneel by Angeal's side, next to Zack. She put her hand on Angeal's arm, and looked at him with worried eyes. She noticed the horrified look on his face, and that made her worry even more. She squeezed him arm lightly, trying to reassure him that it was okay, but it didn't seem to help him at all. Mary barely heard the orders being given, and was surprised when Cloud and Zack lifted Angeal to carry him back to the transporter. She looked over to the others, and was glad to hear Tseng order them to the transporter as well.

Once they made it to the transporter, Cloud and Zack set Angeal down on one of the seats. Mary moved to sit next to him, to try and comfort him, but he pushed her away. He moved himself to a corner, and buried his face in his hands. When Zack tried to move to talk to him, he was also pushed away. Zack moved to sit next to Mary, with a worried and dejected puppy look on his face. Mary put her arm around Zack's shoulder and ruffled his hair.

"It'll be okay. He just needs some space." She said, trying to comfort him. She wasn't sure herself, but that was all she could think of saying. She let her arm slide down to his back, and wrapped her other arm around to pull Zack into a hug, pushing her face into his shoulder. She knew how Zack felt, and since she needed a hug, she figured that he would too. They sat that way until Genesis and Sephiroth returned, glancing over to check on Angeal every couple of minutes.

When Tseng and Sephiroth were both back, they ordered for both Angeal and Ryu to be placed on stretchers, and be brought to the infirmary immediately upon arrival at the ShinRa building. Ryu didn't argue, and fell asleep upon being laid down. Angeal fought his friends as they tried to guide him to the stretcher, and Sephiroth had to use a sleep materia on him. Once he was out, he was strapped to the stretcher, everyone sat in shocked silence, as the helicopter lifted off the ground.

Once everyone returned to the transporter, they made the silent trip back to the ShinRa building. Sadness filled the air, and no one was able or willing to say anything about it. Mary sat leaning against Zack, the horrible memory of the incident running through her head. She had never felt such fear from something that was not directly threatening to her, and the memory caused a horrible tingling in her palms. She thought that she had lost him, and she couldn't handle that type of pain. She turned her head into Zack's arm for a few minutes, to hide the tears that were building in her eyes. Zack could tell that Mary was still upset, and rubbed his hand up and down her back to comfort her. Once he saw that Angeal was alright his fear had disappeared, only to be brought back after seeing Angeal's reaction.

When they arrived, Ryu and Angeal were brought to the infirmary, while the others followed to wait for their friends outside the rooms. Once Angeal was awakened from his sleep and cleared, he made his way to his apartment without a word to anyone. He slammed his door and collapsed onto his couch, his face finding its spot in his hands again.

Mary and Zack followed Angeal, and Zack collapsed outside Angeal's door when it was slammed in his face. With a set look on his face, Zack crossed his arms across his chest.

"You staying here, puppy?" Mary asked, as she looked down at him.

"Yes. I don't trust that look he had." Zack replied with a nod. "I'm worried about him." He added.

"Me too." Mary said, as she sat down next to him. She stayed with Zack until it was time for bed, and she heard Angeal move from his couch to his bedroom. She got up slowly, stretching out her sore limbs, as she offered a hand to Zack, who shook his head.

"No. I'm staying here until he comes out." He said stubbornly. Mary shook her head and went to his room, grabbing a pillow and blanket from his bed. She placed them beside him and ran her hand through his hair.

"Okay, but get some sleep please. You will be no help if you are exhausted. Goodnight puppy." She said, as she slowly made her way to her room. She felt guilty for leaving while Zack was still sitting there, but she knew that it would do no good. When she got to her room, she collapsed on her bed and was asleep within a few minutes; the emotional turmoil of the day had been exhausting.

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Mary groaned when her alarm went off the next morning. She rolled over and buried her head in her pillow. She had barely gotten any sleep; she kept waking up due to nightmares of repeating memories from the day before. She rolled off of her bed and went out to check on Zack. Sure enough, he was still outside of Angeal's apartment. She bent down and pulled the blanket up over Zack's shoulders. She decided to forgo her run, and instead went to the kitchen to make breakfast for herself, Zack, and Angeal.

When the food was done, she brought the three plates back to Angeal's door, setting two of them on the floor. She slowly and cautiously opened Angeal's door, and set the plate down on the coffee table in front of his couch. She wasn't sure if he would eat it, but she felt as though she had to try. She hoped that he would take it as a sign that they were there for him, and he would eventually let them in. She slowly backed out of the room and sat down next to Zack, who had started to wake after smelling the food. He sat up slowly, and eyed the plate of food, while his stomach started to grumble.

"You should eat; you never had dinner last night." Mary said, as she handed him the plate. "I put food in his room too." She added; she didn't want Zack to not eat because of what had happened.

"Fine." Zack said, taking the plate and picked up a piece of toast.

Mary stayed with Zack for most of the morning, and tried to talk to Angeal, but each time they were told to leave him alone. When it was time to eat again, Mary got up and made some more food. This time, Zack refused the food, his hope and good mood diminishing. Mary continued the next few days sitting with Zack, and trying to make him eat, while also trying to keep her own sanity. She started running in the mornings, and training on her own in the afternoon, when she was not sitting with Zack.

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Mary stood silently between Alanna and Piper. They were at the SOLDIERs small ceremony for Elena, a way for all in the program to give their respect to the Turk that had saved one of their own commanders. After the sacrifice that Elena had made to save Angeal, Mary was tempted to go to the Turk service to fully pay her respects, but had chosen otherwise because she was not a full Turk. There was also the fear that being around the more emotional Turks would set her off. She was pretty well in control of her own emotions, but seeing others upset was always enough to throw her over the edge.

Mary was a ball of emotions that she didn't know how to handle, and so she had been keeping it all locked in. She was upset, angry, and depressed because Angeal was locked in his room and Zack was playing the sad puppy outside his door. It broke Mary's heart every time she went to sit with Zack and she saw that the sparkle was no longer in his eyes. She was also upset and sad about Elena's death. She owed the Turk a lot, and she felt horrible that just that morning she had been so angry with her.

Every night she had nightmares. Some were of her memories of the incident, some were mental recreations of what happened so that she could see Angeal as the monster exploded, and some were the events that transpired beforehand. Mary scolded herself each time she woke up angry at Elena, having to remind herself of the good she had done. She had been so angry that morning that she had put Elena on her shit list, which was a very dangerous place to be.

_It is not your fault._ She thought to herself. _Just because you wanted to hurt her doesn't mean that you had anything to do with it. She died doing her job._ That had almost become a mantra for Mary that day. She had been fine the first few days, but this day made her guilt rise to the surface. After the moment of silence, and a silent Thank You to Elena, Mary quickly left and took the stairs to the training room, where she began her solo workout.

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As the days passed, Mary became worried as Angeal still would not leave his room, and Zack would not leave his spot outside of his door. Zack stopped eating, and was starting to look frail, and it broke Mary's heart. She was sitting beside Zack when she got a call from Tseng.

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Mary felt tired as she sat on Angeal's bed, combing her hands through his hair. It hadn't taken long for him to fall asleep. Mary figured that with the drinking he probably hadn't been sleeping well, and she knew for a fact that he hadn't eaten in multiple days. She looked down and evaluated how awful he looked. He hadn't shaved for a week, he was still smelly after his shower, and he looked like he had lost weight from not eating. Mary sighed at the sight of her mentor. –_No, he's more than that now-_She thought to herself.

She smiled to herself when she remembered the kiss. She hadn't been expecting to do that, it was just the only thing that she could think to do in the situation. She was happy with how it had worked out. Though she was worried that Angeal was still feeling his guilt, she would at least be able to get him out of the room in the morning. Mary yawned as her exhaustion started to hit her. She slowly pulled herself out from underneath Angeal as she set his head on the pillow, and slowly moved to his side on the bed. She pulled the blanket over them both as she snuggled into his arm, before gently falling asleep.

Mary slept well that night, curled up next to Angeal. She had never experienced such warmth and comfort. Being that she was so warm and comfortable, she didn't get up when her PHS went off to wake her up, she just silenced it and rolled back over, enjoying the large warm bed that she was in.

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Mary lay in her own bed the next night, willing herself to fall asleep. Her mind was swirling with different thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Mary rolled over for the tenth time, trying to find a way to shut off her mind and force her body to go to sleep. No matter how hard she tried, she could not fall asleep, and so she gave in and returned to the balcony to look over Midgar.

As Mary sat on the balcony, she let her thoughts run wild through her mind. She thought of how happy she had been that morning, she felt like she had finally gotten what she wanted. At the time, Angeal was hers, and she had never felt as much happiness at one time. Then she remembered how horrible it felt when he closed the door on her. She felt horrible, rejected, and devastated. Like everything she had ever wanted was given to her and then taken away. Tears started to stream from her eyes again, as she rocked gently back and forth. It was an hour before she returned to her room, finally able to tire herself enough to fall asleep.

When the alarm went off, Mary groaned and rolled over. After silencing the alarm, she slowly crawled her way out of bed, and was able to force herself down to the track for her morning run. As she ran, she tried to think critically about the situation, and reassure herself that things would be alright. –_He just needed some time. We can talk today and straighten things out. He's still guilty about Elena's death, after all._ - She thought to herself. When she finished her run, she set off for the elevator to return to the apartment.

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Mary didn't know why she said it. She hadn't called Angeal 'sir' for months, not since her birthday. She figured it must have been to distance herself from him, to disconnect from her emotions. She was unsure whether it was to protect herself, or to hurt him, or both. As she showered she tried to calm herself down. Instead of mixed emotions of happiness and sadness, she was now feeling angry. She was ultimately frustrated, and didn't know how to handle it.

-_He's avoiding you. You pushed him too far, and now he'll never want to talk to you again._ – She thought, as she stood still, allowing the water to run down her back. _–But how could he do that? Isn't he supposed to be all honorable? How is a one night stand more honorable than a relationship?_ – She thought, her anger growing.

She grew more and more upset as she ran through the events, trying to figure out exactly where it went wrong. Going through it in her head, she realized that Angeal had lied to her. He said he would never reject her, but he did. He said he wouldn't forget what she said, but apparently he did. Mary never would have thought that Angeal would lie to her like that. She angrily put on her uniform, and made her way to the training room. She was glad to find that Cloud had not gotten there yet, and she was able to start warming up on her own.

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"Are you alright Mary?" Cloud asked, as Mary threw another hard blow his way. He knew that he was supposed to take it easy on the 2nd classes, but if she continued to hit him so hard, he would have to start using all of his strength against her.

"Nope." Was all she said, as she continued blocking Cloud's hits and landing her own blows. Cloud sighed and shook his head.

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"You wanna talk about it?" Cloud asked, hoping that talking would help calm her down. They had been training for three hours, and Mary didn't seem to be tiring. Cloud wasn't tired so much as hungry.

"Not really." Mary replied, though she took the hint and lowered her sword.

"How about we get lunch, then." Cloud offered. Mary nodded her head and returned the buster jr. to the wall. She silently followed Cloud to the elevator, and back to the apartment. "Does this have to do with Angeal?" He finally asked when they were finished with lunch.

"I said I don't want to talk about it." Mary said through clenched teeth. "But yes, it does." Mary gave in, after seeing the worried look on Cloud's face.

"Do you want to practice Materia now?" He asked her, hoping she would take him up on his offer, not wanting to go against her sword again. Mary nodded her head as she got up from the table, collecting the dishes and putting them in the sink.

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The next day, Mary found herself calming down after her training sessions with Cloud. She was still angry and upset, but she felt more in control of her emotions. She was sitting on the couch with Piper when Angeal and Zack returned to the apartment. As she looked up, she saw Angeal as he looked to the floor and quickly walked out of the room.

-_He can't even manage to look at you._- She thought to herself. Almost instantly, she felt her anger return. She clenched her teeth and forced herself to look down at her crocheting. Zack promptly plopped himself on the couch next to Mary.

"Hey Mary, how's it going?" He asked, as he threw his arm over her shoulder. Mary just turned and glared at him. She could not think of the words to describe how she felt and how things were going for her, in a way that wouldn't upset Zack. "Are you mad at me or something?" He asked, shying away from her a little bit.

"No puppy, I'm not mad at you." Mary answered, realizing that she had misplaced her anger.

"Are you sure? I didn't mean to steal Angeal from you." He said.

"I'm sure. It's not your fault that he is ignoring me. And you didn't steal him; he is your mentor too. There is nothing wrong with you enjoying training with him." Mary replied, sighing as she put her crocheting down. She pulled Zack into a hug, as he rubbed her back with his hand. He didn't know what had happened, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. Angeal had come out of his room, and he had been training with him, which made him very happy. But at the same time, he could tell that something was going on between Mary and Angeal, and he could tell that Mary was very upset about it. He wished he knew what to do, but he was well aware that both of them were very stubborn.

"Mary. I'm hungry, can I go get food." Zack said, as he tried to pull away from Mary. She let go of his waist, and nodded her head. "Thanks. You want anything." He added.

"No, I'm all set. Thanks." She replied, as she picked up her crocheting.

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That night, Angeal ate dinner in his room, with Genesis and Sephiroth. They said that they had things that they needed to talk about. Mary wasn't fooled, she knew that Angeal was still avoiding her, and it only frustrated her more. Anytime they were in the same room, he would either bolt, or avoid looking at her.

At first, Mary was upset that Angeal was avoiding her. But as the days went on, she became glad that he was not trying to talk to her. She was still very upset, and anytime they were in the same room, she could feel her emotions springing up. She feared that if they were to look at each other, or if he would actually talk to her, she would break down in tears.

After dinner, Mary went to her room, and changed back into her workout clothes. Training with Cloud was beneficial, but he didn't put her through some of the body shaping workouts that Angeal would, and so Mary had to do them on her own. She was okay with it though, it helped to keep her mind off of her emotions. When she was finished, she felt as though her head was clearer, and she decided to try and get Angeal to talk to her again. She pulled out her PHS, and typed a text.

-Can we talk, please?- Was all she sent him. She had figured that it may be easier to get through to him through the PHS.

-Not tonight, I am busy. I will be busy all day tomorrow as well.- Was his reply. Mary had thought a rejection through the phone would be easier on her nerves, but somehow it wasn't. She started pacing her room. She was sick of being rejected and ignored.

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Mary wasn't sure what she was doing, but she grabbed her key card, PHS, and music player, and left the apartment. She was glad that it was late enough that no one was in the living room to question her. Within minutes she had run down the stairs and left the building, and started running the roads of Midgar. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she needed to get away. She ran for two hours before she began to tire and stopped to figure out where she was. She took a deep breath when she turned and saw the building she had stopped at.

Mary pulled out her id card and slid it through the keypad. Though she didn't live in the Turk apartments, she was still a Turk, and had access to the building. She knew her way around, because she had been the one to replace the security cameras when they got newer ones; it had been the test of her skills in setting up surveillance. Mary sighed to herself when she remembered that day. She had done a pretty good job, but had almost got ten shot by Elena. Mary stopped halfway up the stairs. The memory of Elena brought back everything that had happened in the past two weeks, and Mary had to fight back a tear. When she was able to get herself back together, she continued up the stairs and found her way to Reno's apartment. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door, part of her hoping that he was home, and the other hoping that he wasn't.

Mary stood outside the door, and could hear someone making their way to the door. When it opened, she saw bright red, and lost any self control she had left. Without hesitation, Mary launched herself forward and pulled Reno into a kiss, pushing him backwards into his living room and closing the door with her foot. When she pulled away, she stared into Reno's eyes.

"Well hello to you too." He said, as his mind caught up with what was happening. Reno hadn't expected it to be Mary outside his door, not at one in the morning. He also did not expect for her to kiss him, or to be so aggressive about it. He raised an eyebrow and a smirk grew across his face. He leaned forward for another kiss, and slowly started moving Mary back to his bedroom, more out of reflex than anything else. When they reached his room, he broke the kiss. "Not that I'm complainin', but are you sure about this?" He asked her.

Mary paused and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and rested her head on Reno's chest. "Damn it. I'm sorry." Was all she managed to say.

"It's okay. I didn't really want to die anyway." Reno said, as he rubbed his hand over her back. "Are you okay?" He asked, as he pulled her away from him to look at her face.

"No." She answered.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked, rubbing his hands up and down her upper arms. She shook her head in reply. "Okay. You wanna tell me why you are here then?"

"I… I was tired of being rejected. I knew you wouldn't turn me away, I guess." She said as she sat on the bed and looked down at her hands. "I didn't really plan it; I just went for a run and ended up here." She added.

"Wait, what? Did Angeal reject you?" Reno asked, as he sat on the bed next to Mary.

"Sort of. He… well we… ugh." She covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry. I don't know how to say what I want to say. It's complicated." Reno scooted up his bed to lean on his headboard. He figured it was going to be a long night, and he had already had a long day.

"It's alright. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, yo." He said, stifling a yawn. Mary looked up from her hands and saw that Reno was leaning on the headboard, and he looked exhausted.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you up. I can go if you want me to." Mary said, as she pushed herself off of the bed.

"Don't worry about it. You can stay. Ryu will kill me if I let you leave while you are upset; if she doesn't kill me for that kiss first." Reno said, as he patted the bed next to him. Mary giggled lightly as she made her way around the bed to sit next to Reno.

"Thanks. Hopefully Ryu just doesn't find out, or else we will both get lectured." She said as she sat down. "Wait, where are your goggles?" Mary asked.

"In the bathroom. Why?"

"Good. I don't want CAGS tattling on us." Mary replied, as Reno nodded his head in understanding. They both sat for a few minutes without speaking.

"So… that kiss, you were pretty aggressive, yo. A little too aggressive for a virgin." Reno said finally.

"That's because I'm not a virgin anymore." Mary said flatly.

"Is that why you're upset? I'm just going to assume it was Angeal." Reno asked, not at all surprised at her statement. Mary nodded her head in reply. "How was it?"

"Everything I had been waiting for. I couldn't have been happier. But it was probably a mistake; I think I pushed Angeal too far." She admitted.

"So, the not wanting to be rejected thing…?"

"He won't talk to me, he won't look at me, and he isn't training me. I thought that once everything was out in the open, we could just be together. But apparently that's not what he wants." She said, her sadness apparent in her voice.

"Come on, I doubt that he doesn't want you. In my opinion, the big guy is an idiot, and doesn't know what to do. He probably feels guilty for what happened, being all about his 'honor' and all, yo." Reno replied, trying to comfort Mary.

"He regrets it. It was the best morning of my life, and he regrets it. It just hurts." Mary said, leaning on Reno's shoulder. "I can't sort anything in my head. I am mad at him for lying to me and ignoring me, happy that it finally happened, and then upset because it was all taken from me. Do you know what that is like, to be given everything you could ever want and then have it taken away?" Reno sat silently, not knowing how to answer her.

"No I don't." He answered her quietly. Mary turned her head and looked into Reno's eyes.

"Thank you, Reno. It was nice to get that out." She said.

"No problem. But, I still don't see why you came to me. Yeah, I wouldn't have rejected you, but I can't give you a relationship either." Reno replied, raising an eyebrow, curious as to what her answer would be.

"I know, but you wouldn't lie to me about it. It would be my choice, and I wouldn't expect anything more, so I wouldn't get my heart broken." Mary yawned, the late hour taking its toll on her. "I should probably go now."

"You can stay here, it's late. Don't worry, I'll behave myself." Reno said, as he pushed his shoes off and pulled the blanket over them both.

"Thanks." Mary said, as she curled up under the covers and into Reno. Reno smiled as he fell asleep, enjoying having someone next to him.

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Mary woke a few hours later, when her PHS alarm went off as usual. She was confused as she sat up, and realized she wasn't in her own room. She turned to the side, and saw that she had been sleeping next to Reno. Her brain slowly caught up, as she looked down and saw that she still had her running clothes on. –_Thank the goddess- _She thought. Mary got up, and found her way to the bathroom. After splashing water on her face and straightening her hair, she returned to the bedroom and found her running shoes. After slipping them on, she bent over a sleeping Reno and lightly kissed his cheek.

"Thank you. I have to go now." She whispered. Reno shifted slightly, and groggily replied.

"What time is it?"

"Much earlier than you want to be awake." Mary replied.

"Then why are you awake?" He groaned.

"I have to get back to ShinRa, I don't want anyone to find out I left. And I have to get there to start coffee before Seph or Ryu wake up." She said, as she made her way to the door. "I'll see you later."

"Later, yo." Reno replied, as he shoved his head back into his pillow. Mary shook her head as she made her way out of Reno's apartment, and made her way down the stairs. She was almost out of the apartment complex when she heard a familiar voice.

"Need a ride." She heard, as she cringed and slowly turned around. Rude was standing by his car with his arms across his chest.

"I can run. I usually do in the mornings anyway." She answered, though she doubted that it would work. Rude tilted his head and pointed to the car.

"Get in." Mary sighed and did as she was told. They both sat silently in the car for most of the trip back to ShinRa.

"I know you probably won't believe me, but it really isn't what it looks like. Nothing happened." Mary began awkwardly.

"You don't owe me an explanation. You are an adult." Rude cut in.

"Alright, but seriously, my clothes were on the whole time. Please don't tell anyone." She said pleadingly.

"Tell anyone what?" Rude said, as he parked the car. Mary took it as a sign that the conversation was over. Rude seemed a little grouchy, and Mary wasn't sure if it was because it was early in the morning, or if he was upset about what had happened. Mary rode the elevator silently back to her own apartment, where she made her way to the kitchen to start the coffee, and then returned to her room to shower.

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Later that day, Mary was sitting in the living room petting Zack when Ryu and Reno returned from their training session. Reno plopped himself on the empty couch while Ryu made her way to the kitchen. Reno took out his PHS and sent Mary a text.

-Are you feeling better today?- Mary read when she opened her PHS.

-Yeah. Thanks for last night. Oh, Rude brought me back, so he knows I was there. Did Ryu say anything?- She replied.

-Nope. But that explains how Rude seemed to know. I thought he was spying on me or something.- He typed back. Mary laughed when she read his message.

"What's so funny?" Zack asked, upset that Mary had stopped petting him.

"Nothing puppy." Mary said, as she ruffled Zack's hair. Zack shrugged and leaned back against Mary's leg. Ryu returned from the kitchen with a snack for both her and Reno, and sat down beside him.

"So, didn't feel like a run this morning Mary?" She asked her friend, who paused what she was doing and looked up.

"No, I was tired, decided to go back to sleep after making coffee." She replied hesitantly. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering. I thought it was because you were with niisan all night." She said in a matter of fact tone. Reno coughed as he nearly choked on his food. Zack turned around to stare at Mary who sported a 'deer in the headlights' look as she stared at Ryu. "CAGS monitors security cameras as well as the headsets." She added.

"She made the move on me. I behaved myself, I swear it, yo." Reno said, before Ryu could even accuse or yell at him.

"Oh I know, but I wish you wouldn't have tried to hide it from me." Ryu said, resting her hand on Reno's shoulder. Reno sighed in relief.

"Mary?" Zack asked, not believing what he had heard. Mary shook herself from her daze and looked at Zack.

"Don't worry puppy, nothing happened. We just talked and then fell asleep." She said reassuringly. "I'm sorry." She said, this time pointing her statement at Ryu, who shook her head.

"Whatever. It's not like I didn't see it coming. At least niisan had some self control, so it didn't get out of hand." She said, giving Mary a hard look. Mary lowered her head and looked at her lap. "And Zack, what you have heard stays between us, got it?" She said, all but glaring at Zack. "We don't want anyone to overreact if they hear about it."

"Got it. My lips are sealed." He said, as he moved his hand from one side of his mouth to the other. "I will not tell Angeal."

"Not tell me what?" Angeal said, as he made his way through the living room.

"Nothing." Zack yelped, as he got up and followed Angeal out of the apartment. When they reached the elevator, Angeal gave Zack a questioning look.

"So, what was it that you won't tell me?" He asked again.

"I can't tell you. And I won't tell you, until you tell me what is going on with you and Mary." Zack said, with a nod to his head.

"I already told you Zack, it is private." Angeal replied sternly.

"Well too bad, guess I can't tell you then."

"Zack…" Angeal threatened. Zack just shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. Angeal sighed as he gave up and stood silently until the elevator reached the training floor.

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Mary tried to control her emotions as she followed Angeal down the hallway to his room. She was glad that Angeal was finally going to talk to her, but also afraid that she would break down and cry if she was in the room with him alone. She had been feeling better since her night with Reno, but it was still hard to look at Angeal, it would always bring back the painful memories of him rejecting her. Mary looked down at her hands as she sat on his couch. Angeal sat down on the other end, and turned to face Mary.

He didn't know what he could say. He couldn't deny his feelings for Mary, but there was still something holding him back. He didn't know how to explain it to her. Every time he thought about that morning, he got an incredible feeling of guilt, and he was having a hard time getting over it.

The silence was killing Mary. She tried to take a few deep breaths to control herself but she could feel the tears start to form in her eyes. Mary curled her knees up to her chest and hid her face from Angeal's view. Angeal looked up when he heard Mary move, and was horrified when he saw that she had closed off, and it looked like she was crying. He slid across the couch and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry Mary, I didn't mean to hurt you. Please forgive me?" He said softly.

"Well you did." Mary said, the anger getting to her again.

"I'm sorry. I lost my self control. I never wanted to hurt you." He said again.

"You really don't get it, do you? I'm not upset about what happened, 'Geal." Mary began. "There was nothing wrong with what we did. Pushing me away is what hurt." She said sadly, the tears continuing to stream down her face.

"I didn't know what to do. I'm confused and I don't know how to handle this." He admitted.

"Well ignoring me was definitely not the way." She answered angrily. "You said you'd never reject me, but you did. But it hurt worse than any other rejection ever has. Please don't do it again, I don't know if I can take it." She said honestly.

"I don't want to hurt you, Mary. But I'm afraid that if we do this, I will only hurt you more in the end."

"That's total crap."

"Excuse me?" Angeal asked, confused at the turn the conversation had taken.

"I don't care if I get hurt later on, if I get to be happy until then. Stop denying me that, Angeal." She began. "'It's better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all', why would you deny me that? I want to know what it is like, please." She pleaded with him. She didn't know how to make him understand how badly she needed to be with him.

"You deserve someone better than me." He said solemnly.

"But you are the one I want. Don't I deserve to have what I want? Don't I deserve to be loved, just once?" She asked him. She didn't believe in any way that he didn't deserve her, but she would let it go for the moment.

"Yes." He replied, as he pulled her closer to him. They stayed that way for a few minutes before Mary decided to speak again.

"So, can we be together now?" She asked him cautiously. Angeal nodded his head. "Say it out loud please."

"Yes, I want to be with you." Angeal said firmly. He wrapped his arms around Mary's waist and pulled her closer to him. He was amazed at how happy he was, and how being with Mary seemed to cause all of his worries to disappear. "Where do we go from here?"He asked her.

"Well, I don't really know. I've never actually been in a relationship before. I'm pretty sure we don't have to follow the traditional timeline though, since we've known each other for almost a year now. I'd say we start with this, and take it at whatever pace feels right." She answered him.

"This is nice." He said, hugging Mary a little tighter. "I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with the other thing yet, though."

"That's fine. We should probably talk about it if we plan on doing it again, which I do." She said with a smirk. "But I can wait until you are more comfortable with it, as long as I know you're mine. Maybe we should go on a date? Nothing fancy, just hanging out just the two of us. I could cook you dinner for a change, and we could sit and talk on the balcony?" She suggested, turning to Angeal to see his reaction.

"That would be nice." He replied. Mary smiled and gave Angeal a gentle kiss, before turning around again and leaning into his chest. Mary almost fell asleep in Angeal's arms after just a few minutes. She really did enjoy the warmth and the feeling of his arms around her. They made her feel safe and happy. They stayed that way until it was time to go to bed.

"I should go now." Mary said, as she pushed herself up a little and turned towards Angeal. She looked deeply into his blue eyes, and realized it was going to be incredibly hard to leave. Before he could respond, she kissed him again, only this time she lingered. Angeal sat and enjoyed the kiss, letting it go on for a few minutes. He really did enjoy having Mary in this way, and he couldn't imagine being without her again. When he finally regained his control, he gently eased Mary back, ending the kiss.

"It is getting late. I can walk you to your room if you'd like." He offered.

"That's okay; I'll see you in the morning." She said, as she placed a quick kiss on his lips. She reluctantly stood, and slowly made her way out of Angeal's room and to her own. She finally understood why her friends would always take such a long time saying goodbye to their boyfriends in high school.

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The next morning Mary got up and did her run, as usual. She was glad that she had finally gotten a good night's sleep, and was hoping that things were finally going to work out with her and Angeal. After returning and showering, Mary made her way to the kitchen to make herself breakfast. She smiled when she saw Angeal sitting at the table, drinking his coffee.

"Good morning." She said cheerfully. Angeal smiled when he heard her familiar voice. Without hesitation he got up and followed Mary to the counter. He gently turned her around and planted a soft kiss on her lips. He was not going to make the same mistake twice; he did not want to hurt Mary again.

"Good morning." He said softly. Mary smiled brightly, and returned the favor. They broke the kiss when Seph walked into the kitchen and froze.

"Morning Seph." Mary said, turning a bright pink color. She pulled away from Angeal and grabbed the coffee cup from Sephiroth's hand, and filled it with more coffee. She turned and handed it back to him, giving him time to give Angeal a confused look. As Sephiroth sat down, he returned to his role as the General.

"So, you two are together now? I assume I do not have to tell you to be professional." He said calmly.

"Yes, and no, you don't have to tell us. We will behave." Mary answered for them both.

"Good." He replied, as he took a sip from his coffee cup. He smiled to himself. He had been in a good mood for a few days, and seeing his friend happy finally made him feel even better. He watched as Mary and Angeal left the kitchen to begin their training session.

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YAY! Finally! So from now on, there is going to be a lot of fluffy and sickly sweet angeal/mary stuff. The next chapter is pretty much all fluffy stuff, and in between the last and next chapters from the main story.


	11. Chapter 11

A/n: So, fluffy relationship stuff. Sorry if it gets sappy and annoying, but I lack a love life and so I am living it out in the story. Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: ff7 belongs entirely to square enix

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Mary lay on the training room floor, trying to get regain her breath. She had been training with Angeal for three hours, and was beginning to feel exhausted. She turned her head to look at Angeal, who was sitting with his knees up a few feet away, and smiled at him. Mary figured some of the exhaustion was caused by trying to control herself all day. It was nice working and training with Angeal again, but it was difficult to remain professional and not let their new relationship interfere with their work.

Angeal sat on the floor, using all the self control that he had to not lean over Mary and kiss her. –_How did you resist her for so long?_- He thought to himself.

They had both spent the morning catching up on paperwork. Since he had been out for more than a week, there was plenty to do, and it took longer than usual, even with Mary helping him. Angeal hadn't been able to do more than one sheet of paperwork at a time without looking up to stare at Mary. He had been chastised for it a few times, but most of the time she had let it slide, mainly because she had also been staring at him.

Angeal could feel how exhausted he was. Even though he had been training with Zack, he still was not in his top form, and so the long training session had ended. He decided to join Mary in everything he had her do, including the VR mission. He knew he still needed to work to get back into shape, and he didn't trust himself to stand and watch her the way he was supposed to as her mentor. Suddenly, Angeal's stomach started to make loud gargling noises.

"Sounds like you need some food." Mary teased, as she sat up slowly. Angeal pushed himself off the floor and offered his hand to Mary, who took it happily. She smiled when she saw the look he was giving her. "And maybe some other things too." She said with a smirk.

"It has been a long day." He replied as they got into the elevator. When the doors closed he put his hand over her lower back, and she leaned into him. They had promised to be professional and behave themselves, so they stuck with the comforting hold Angeal usually had Mary in to relax in the elevator. Mary resisted the urge to snuggle into his chest. When they reached their floor, Mary led the way into the apartment. They were barely through the door when Mary felt Angeal lightly tug on her arm. He turned her around and pulled her into a desperate kiss.

"Couldn't wait any longer." He said as they broke away from each other.

"I think we need to work on your patience." Mary teased, before pulling him down for another kiss. "We should go get food now." She said, when his stomach gurgled once more.

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"Get a room." Morgan said from his spot on the back of the couch. He had seen enough of Mary and Angeal kissing on the couch for the day.

"Fine by me." Mary said, as she got off Angeal's lap and pulled him to follow her. Mary giggled as she pulled Angeal into his room and they both fell onto the small couch. "I think we need to learn some self control around everyone else." She added.

"We keep this up; I'm going to need more self control all the time." Angeal replied. He had never expected to be behaving this way, but he couldn't help it. Mary laughed and pushed Angeal off her in a playful manner.

"I feel like a teenager. I never got to do this when everyone else was." She said, as she smiled and pushed Angeal against the other side of the couch. "I don't think I'll ever get enough of this."

"Me either." Angeal replied as he pulled Mary into his chest.

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"Guess what?" Mary said an hour later.

"I don't know; what?" Angeal replied.

"It's been an entire day and you haven't run away." She said teasingly.

"So it has. Now that I have you, I will never run. I will never give you up." He replied, as he gently kissed the top of her head. She smiled widely.

"Good."She said as she kissed him again.

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As the night got later, Mary started to tire and cuddled into Angeal's warm arms. She was almost asleep when the alarm she had set on her PHS went off. She grumbled as she pulled it out and turned it off. She let her head fall onto Angeal's chest with a thud.

"Something wrong?"He asked her.

"It's time for bed, but I don't want to go." She replied into his chest. "I'm too comfy here, with you." Without replying, Angeal sat and stood up, pulling Mary into his arms as he did so. He made his way to the door, and carried her out of his room and down the hall.

Mary giggled as Angeal picked her up and carried her. Usually she would be upset about being carried, she had never liked the feeling before, but now it was different. It was Angeal who was carrying her, and he kept his arms wrapped around her as he did so. Mary always felt so comfortable in those arms.

"Goodnight. I will see you in the morning." He said, as he gently set Mary in her bed. When he tried to pull away, she resisted, pulling him down onto her bed to join her.

"Can we have that talk tomorrow?" She whispered to him. Angeal's eyes went wide, he was still very nervous about that. He nodded his head in agreement. He wasn't sure if he was ready, but he knew he was already starting to lose control again, so having the talk would probably be a good idea. Angeal spotted the plushie he had bought for her on her pillow, and he picked it up and put it in between them. He then pushed himself off the bed, and kissed Mary gently before turning to leave the room.

"Goodnight 'Geal." Mary said with a yawn, as she pulled the plushie tightly to her chest. It wasn't anywhere near as good as Angeal, but it was better than nothing.

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The next day went just the same for Angeal and Mary. They worked on paperwork and trained together, and when they returned to the apartment, they spent a large amount of time cuddling and sharing quick kisses.

"You two are so cute together." Zack said as he played his videogame. "I knew you liked her. You should listen to me more often 'Geal." He added, as Angeal shook his head. Mary threaded her fingers through Angeal's.

"Can we go to your room now?" She asked quietly. She wanted the kisses to last longer, but she knew it was a little annoying to her friends. Angeal smiled and stood up, pulling Mary up after him. It was his turn to lead her to his room, and when he sat on his couch, he gently pulled Mary down on top of him to wrap his arms around her. He rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm glad we worked things out. I'm sorry for being so stubborn." He whispered in her ear.

"Me too, except for the stubborn part. I will never apologize for being stubborn."She replied with a giggle.

"So, was there something you wanted to do in here?" He asked with a mischievous grin. Mary nodded her head and turned herself around on Angeal. She pulled him into a long kiss. The kiss continued for quite some time, it seemed like they could not get enough of each other. As they continued, hands started wandering.

Suddenly, Mary let out a sharp squeal when Angeal's hands ghosted over the sensitive area over her hip bones. Angeal panicked and removed his hands and pulled away, afraid that he had done something to hurt her.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" He asked worriedly. Mary supported herself with hands on Angeal's shoulders as she took a deep breath.

"No, you didn't hurt me. But please don't do that again, not yet." She said, still fighting to control her breathing and fighting for self control. She looked at Angeal and could see the confusion and worry on his face. "My hips are really ticklish." She started to explain.

"I've seen the other girls tickle you before, you have never reacted that way."

"It's not just that they are ticklish though. Well, it's kind of a tickly erogenous zone." She began. "Pretty much buttons to turn me on. So please, don't do it unless you mean it." She said honestly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." He apologized to her. "I didn't mean to tease you. I like what we are doing now; I don't want to rush into anything just yet."

"I know, and that's perfectly fine. I mean, I want you, but I can wait. This is enough, what we are doing now is better than anything else I've ever experienced with anyone else." They sat in silence for a few minutes so Mary could get control of herself again. Angeal could feel her legs shaking on top of his own. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"So, I should avoid your hips from now on?" He finally said.

"No, it is perfectly acceptable in certain situations, we just aren't there yet. But for now, yes, you should avoid them. I don't know if I could control myself if you were to do it again." She said honestly. "But later on, they could be a way for you to show me what you want." She said, as she pulled away from his chest slightly and started to kiss his neck.

"What do you mean?" He asked, as he pulled her face to look into her eyes.

"When you are ready, it can be your signal." She said, as she leaned forward to kiss him.

"And what would your signal be?" He asked when they pulled away from each other.

"That depends on where your erogenous zones are." Mary said with a smile. "There is the obvious one, but there could be other more _subtle_ ones. We could try here, behind your ear." She said, as she ran her hands gently behind his ears. Mary had discovered in high school that some of her guy friends were very sensitive there, and would use that to retaliate anytime they picked on her too much.

Angeal felt something jolt through him at her actions. Without thinking, he flipped them over so they were both lying on the couch, with him on top. Mary smiled and kissed him again, gently, to help calm him down. She moved her hands to his arms and gently moved them up and down his large biceps.

"I think we found one." She said. It was Angeal's turn to try and control his breathing. "Relax, deep breaths, just like when I freak out in the helicopter or the VR room." She said, trying to soothe him. She didn't expect him to get riled up quite that easily.

"I'm sorry." He said finally.

"Don't be." Mary replied. "This might be a good time to have that talk."

"I think you are right. But first I think I need a moment." Angeal said, as he pushed himself off the couch. He made his way to the bathroom, and Mary could hear the faucet going as Angeal splashed water onto his face. She smiled to herself, happy that she could cause such a reaction in him.

When Angeal returned, Mary was sitting in the corner of the couch. Mary figured it would be best to have the conversation while facing each other, instead of with her back to him like for most of their conversations. She wanted to be able to see his face and his reactions. She could get most of his reactions through hearing his voice and feeling his heart rate, but she also wanted him to be able to see her sincerity in this type of discussion.

Mary took a deep breath. Even though they were together now, and were getting even more comfortable with each other, she was still nervous about having the sex talk with Angeal. She was worried that he had put all his defenses back up, and it may be difficult to break them down, because of how strongly he believed in his ideals. Mary knew the things that she wanted to say; the things that she knew Angeal would need to hear. But she didn't know when or how to say them.

When Angeal returned from the bathroom, he sat in the middle of the couch, facing Mary, reaching forward to hold her hand. He squeezed gently, trying to ease both of their anxiety. "So, where should we begin?" He asked hesitantly.

"I'm not really sure. There are a lot of things we need to talk about, and I don't know what to start with." Mary replied honestly. "I just want you to know, and really believe me, that I want to be with you in that way, but I don't want you to do anything you are uncomfortable with. Please, don't ever rush for my sake." She said as she gave his hand a gently squeeze.

"I won't. And I want you also, I just don't know if I am okay with it or not. I've always thought that sex should wait until marriage, but now I'm not so sure. It's hard to figure out how I feel now." Angeal replied, looking into Mary's eyes.

"We can start there then." Mary began. "I understand that is an ideal that you grew up believing, and though I understand the view it is not one that I share. I believe that marriage is the final step of a relationship, when you have finally decided who you want to spend the rest of your life with, when you are ready to fully dedicate yourself to someone. In my opinion, a relationship needs to be complete and strong before that step, and sex is an important part of that. Sex may not be the 'be all, end all' of a relationship, but sexual chemistry is important, and if it isn't there, many marriages fall apart." Mary explained. "And I believe that sex can be a step in giving yourself to the one you love. It is true that many people don't use sex in that way, but it can be a way to enhance the bond between two people."

"So, are you saying that you love me?" Angeal asked quietly. He cared for Mary, and he wanted to be with her, that much was clear. But love was something he wasn't sure about, he had never felt romantic love before. Mary visibly winced when she heard the question.

"I… not yet. I mean, I care about you a lot, and I feel a strong connection and attraction to you, but I wouldn't qualify it as love, not yet at least. I didn't mean that, I was just trying to explain why it isn't a bad thing, and shouldn't make you feel guilty." She said awkwardly. –_This is not getting off to a great start-_ She thought to herself.

"It's okay. I appreciate your honesty. I was just confused with some of the things you were saying. I do agree with you so far, please continue." Angeal said as he rubbed his hand reassuringly over Mary's knee.

"Okay. You don't have to be in love yet, but if you care for someone, and know them, and want to know them better, sex can be an important step to progress forward. Plus, it is just plain old human nature. It is built into our genes. Why do you think you lost control before? It isn't a weakness; it is your biology taking control. Sex is actually something that can improve your health. It is great exercise; it can relieve stress, colds, and many other things. The hormones that are released during orgasm have a lot of good effects on the body." Mary said, starting to talk faster as she got more into her comfort zone. Angeal only nodded his head, hoping that she wouldn't go into full teacher mode, which she had been known to do.

"Do you have anything to say? I feel like I'm doing most of the talking." Mary said when Angeal didn't reply verbally.

"You usually do most of the talking. But no, so far I think you are doing a good job. There is not much I can say." He replied, teasing her a little for her talkativeness.

"Alright, next point; let me see. Oh yes, waiting until marriage is not realistic, and many people don't make it that far. I mean really, none of your friends were able to hold out long, and you don't think any less of them for it. Well, we may think a little less of Reno for it, but he is a bit beyond the normal range of sexual activity." Mary said, teasing her new friend. She didn't really think less of him for it; she just worried about his behavior a little bit. "In summary, in my opinion, there is nothing dishonorable about having sex before marriage, especially not now that we are in a relationship." She finally finished.

"You have made some very good points, and I think I may agree with you. Though I would have liked to hold to that ideal, now that I've been with you, I don't think it would have ever been possible. Even if that morning had never happened, I don't think I could have controlled myself in the context of a relationship either." He answered. "I still have some reservations though. I'm afraid that I will not be able to control myself around you, I'm honestly afraid that I may hurt you." He said sadly.

"You aren't going to hurt me Angeal. I know you, I trust you. You would never do anything to hurt me, not even then. Granted, you are a little large, but I don't think that will be a problem, since it didn't really hurt the first time." She answered, looking him in the eyes, noticing that they suddenly went wide.

"I never asked you if you were alright, did I?" He said worriedly.

"Yes you did, multiple times. And I answered you honestly. I was fine, and I'll always be fine. You may be mako enhanced, but so am I. You aren't going to hurt me Angeal." She said again. "I thought we were past this." She added.

"This is different. I lose my control when I'm with you."

"You lose control of the side of you that won't allow you to do anything 'dishonorable'. You were still in control Angeal. You were exactly what you needed to be. I actually liked when you lost control, the real you came out." She said, leaning forward to kiss him. "That morning was amazing, everything was perfect. I don't regret any of it, and I don't want you to either." She said sternly. "I'll admit, the timing was off, but it was still perfect to me."

"It was perfect to me too; it is just the guilt that came afterwards that is hard to get over." Angeal replied. "But I will try."

"That's all that I ask. I don't want you feeling guilty; there is nothing you need to be ashamed about. Now that we got that stuff out of the way, there are some more technical things we need to talk about." Mary said, pushing herself away from Angeal so she could look at him again. She suddenly felt even more nervous, which surprised her. She had talked about these things in great detail before, so she didn't quite understand why she was so afraid.

"Technical?" Angeal asked, confused.

"Well, if we plan on having sex anytime soon, then we have some shopping to do. Protection is a must, we didn't the first time, but I'm not too worried since neither one of us have had sex with anyone else. But, I'd rather not have a baby anytime soon." Mary said confidently.

"I can't believe I didn't think about that. How could I be so careless?" Angeal scolded himself.

"Hey, you had no idea that was going to happen, and it's not like you planned on it happening at all, not with your ideals. I didn't think of it either, I'm just as much to blame." Mary tried to reassure him.

"That is not much of an excuse. I will go to the clinic tomorrow to be safe, they have a large stock, or so I've heard." He said.

"That is somehow not at all surprising." Mary said with a smile. "Also, we need to set ground rules. Communication is key. If you want something I want you to tell me, and I'll do the same. Also, if something makes you uncomfortable, that needs to be said as well." Mary started, her face getting a little red. "And we should try to keep in the bedroom, or at least one of our apartments. Oh, and we need to shower before leaving your apartment afterwards; Alanna has super sensitive smell." Mary added.

"I will try to remember. And should we use those signs we discovered earlier?" Angeal asked, moving a little closer to Mary.

"That could be one way to start things. I'm sure with time we can develop many signals." She said, leaning forward to kiss Angeal. "So, did this talk make you any more comfortable with the idea?" She asked him when they broke away.

"Yes it did. But not tonight, I want to go on a date first." Angeal answered.

"So you are the old fashioned type, I see." Mary teased. "That sounds wonderful. I was thinking Friday night. Gen is bringing 'Lanna to dinner, Ryu and Morgan are going as their security. Cloud will most likely be with Tseng as usual, and I think Seph is having a dinner with Vincent. I'm sure Matti and Piper will find something to do, and Reno agreed to distract Zack. We could have our date on the balcony, without distractions." Mary said.

"That sounds nice. Are you sure you don't want to go out anywhere?" He asked her. He didn't have a problem with the private setting; he was just surprised, as dates were usually done outside ShinRa.

"I'm sure. I like the balcony, it holds some good memories. Plus, it has a great view. I was thinking I could cook dinner for you for a change. We could eat out there and talk, and maybe dance a little?" She asked, knowing he wasn't much of a fan of dancing.

"That sounds lovely. Is there anything I can do? Isn't it customary for the first date to be run by the guy?" He asked her.

"Who cares about customary? You could bring wine if you wanted, but other than that, just yourself. That's what I'm most looking forward to anyway." She said, leaning in to kiss him again.

With that their conversation ended. They continued to kiss for a few minutes before Mary's alarm went off again, and she reluctantly pulled away and said goodnight. She reluctantly left the room after a quick hug, and made her way to her room. –_I really hate that alarm, but I guess it's a good thing I set it. I'm not sure I'd ever leave without it.-_She thought to herself as she got into her pajamas and brushed her teeth. She curled up into her bed and pulled her plushie close to her chest. It was a long time before she was able to go to sleep.

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Matti sat with Piper on the couch, looking around the room and stopping frequently to stare at Genesis and Angeal. He was fine with them dating his friends, he was actually happy about it, but there was still a part of him that felt like he was responsible for something. After a few minutes, he got up and waved Morgan over to have a short conversation.

"Angeal and Genesis, can we have a word with you please?" Matti asked, as he and Morgan returned from the kitchen. Angeal looked up at Matti, and then looked down at Mary with a confused look on his face. Genesis did the same with Alanna.

"It's okay, Matti doesn't bite. Go." Mary said, pushing herself from Angeal and pushing on his back lightly. Both Angeal and Genesis got up and followed Matti to the kitchen.

"What's that about?" Zack asked, tilting his head in a confused manner.

"I think Matti is going all big brother." Ryu answered him.

"What does that mean? And I thought you were all just friends?" He asked.

"Since coming here, we are more than just friends, we have become like family, since we are away from ours. And it means that he is going to give a slightly threatening talk to Gen and 'Geal." Mary replied.

"And it appears he dragged Morgan into it too." Ryu added.

"Why would they threaten them?" Zack said, now getting really confused.

"It's just something that big brothers do. If they end up hurting 'Lanna or Mary, then we will hurt them. I already made that clear before anything really started." Ryu said. Zack gave up on trying understanding and returned to his game.

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"I just wanted to take this opportunity to make something clear. If you hurt either one of them, we will hurt you." Matti said when they were all standing in the kitchen.

"I assure you, this is not necessary. I do not intend to hurt Mary, not again." Angeal replied, somewhat offended that Matti was confronting them.

"Just the same, I had to say it. They are like sisters to me, and this is what big brothers do when their sisters get boyfriends." Matti explained. "I do not actually believe that you ever want to hurt them, but it still needed to be said. Usually, I would also have to ask your intentions, but I think the girls would kill me if I tried." He added.

"You have no need to worry, but thank you for your concern." Genesis said as he started to turn to leave the room.

"Hey, we aren't done yet. From now on, I have my eyes on you." Matti said, giving them a death glare and gesturing his fingers to his eyes, and then pointing them at the SOLDIERs.

"And I have my rifle on you. We will not hesitate to protect our friends." Morgan added. He had been silent through the rest of the conversation. He never would have confronted the SOLDIERs on his own, but he did agree with Matti, and so he had agreed to join this conversation.

"Understood, are we finished now?" Genesis asked, wanting to be with Alanna again. This conversation was giving him a strong urge to wrap her in his arms.

"Yes, you may go." Matti said, as he left the kitchen to sit with Piper on the couch again.

All four guys returned, and sat back with their girlfriends. "Did he do the 'I've got my eye on you' thing?" Ryu asked Morgan when he sat down.

"Yes." He replied.

"I knew it. You are so predictable bossman." Ryu commented. Matti flipped her off before pulling Piper closer to him.

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A few hours later, Mary found herself on Angeal's couch again. She felt a tiny bit guilty for not spending much time with her friends, but at the same time, she really enjoyed all the alone time she was spending with Angeal. She figured it wasn't such a big deal, since they all had someone to spend time with; she wasn't leaving anyone as an odd wheel. She smiled as she cuddled against Angeal's shoulder.

"Can you tell me the story of dumbapples? I know I said I knew it, but I want you to tell me." She said. They had been talking about little things, whenever they weren't otherwise occupied.

"They are officially called Banora Whites. The trees bear fruit at random times during the year, and so the townspeople affectionately call them 'dumbapples'." He began.

"And you used to steal them from the orchards." Mary chimed in.

"Yes, I was poor and we used to take them. My mother makes a very good dumbapple pie; she is the one who came up with the recipe I use." He continued. "There was one tree I would not steal from though. It was on the land of the town's major, Gen's parents. I never stole from that tree."

"And you would never ask for one from Gen. There are definitely things I still don't quite get about your honor." Mary said.

"Honor is a tricky thing." Angeal replied, kissing Mary's neck. Mary smiled and pulled Angeal into a firm kiss.

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When Mary's alarm finally went off at its usual time, Mary turned it off and tossed her PHS on the floor. She continued kissing Angeal. She knew it was time to go to bed, but she hated leaving Angeal, and she was starting to hate sleeping alone. The previous night it had taken her two hours to fall asleep, even though she had been practically passed out on Angeal just a short time before.

"Mary, shouldn't we say goodnight now?" Angeal asked as he gently pulled Mary away from himself.

"I don't want to. Can I sleep with you tonight? I'll behave, I promise." She begged him. Angeal sat for a minute without answering. He didn't want to turn her down, but he was not sure he was ready to share his bed. He was also not sure if he could control himself. They were doing well, but they were always in his outer room, never in his bedroom.

"Shouldn't that happen after our first date? Isn't that the traditional timeline?" He said when he was finally able to come up with an answer.

"Who cares about traditional, I thought we already went over that. I just thought it might make it easier for later. It may be less awkward to make that big step if you are comfortable with sharing your bed with me. But if you don't want to, that's fine too." Mary replied. She wasn't going to mention that she was secretly hoping that he would be ready for sex after their first date. It was becoming more and more difficult for her to be patient with each kiss they shared.

"It's not that I don't want to, I am just not sure if it is a good idea." He said quietly.

"I'll be wearing my pajamas, I can even pick my least sexy ones if you'd like." Mary teased.

"I think I would find you sexy and desirable no matter what you are wearing."

"Aww, that's sweet. If you are uncomfortable, just forget I asked." Mary replied, happy from his comment, and sad that she may have to sleep alone again.

"No. I would like to try. Go brush your teeth and put on your pajamas, I'll be in my room when you return." Angeal said, as he pulled Mary in for a hug and a quick kiss. He was still worried, but the idea of holding Mary all night long was growing on him. Mary smiled brightly and hopped off the couch, practically skipping off to her room.

Mary quickly found her chocobo pajama pants and matching long sleeve shirt and changed, and then brushed her teeth. She went to her bed to grab her plushie, and then decided to leave it. She wouldn't need it to comfort her; the real Angeal would be there to do that. That thought made her smile again and she let out a happy giggle. She shook her head and looked over the room to see if there was anything that she was forgetting. She remembered leaving her PHS in Angeal's room, and that was all she would really need. She made her way back to Angeal's room, and launched herself onto his bed when she entered his room.

Angeal stepped out of his bathroom when he heard Mary return. He almost laughed in surprise when she launched herself at his bed, and proceeded to curl herself into a ball of his blankets and bounce in the middle. The look on her face was so happy and excited that he couldn't help but smile in response.

"Oh I see, you just want me for my bed." He teased. Mary nodded her head with a smile.

"That and you are a fabulous heater." She said giggling. Angeal shook his head as he turned off his bathroom light. "I'm so much more comfortable when I'm with you." She added.

"So am I." He replied, as he turned off the light and made his way to his bed. "Can I have my blankets back?" He asked her.

"Fine, as long as you share. You hogged the blankets last time, not that you remember that night." Mary replied, uncurling from her ball and rearranging the blankets. She smiled as Angeal joined her in the bed and pulled her close to his chest. She looked up to give him a quick kiss. "Goodnight." She said, as she snuggled back into his chest. They were both asleep within minutes.

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When Mary's PHS went off the next morning, she quickly turned it off and set it aside. She curled back up in Angeal's arms. As unusual as it was, Mary didn't feel like getting up to run, even though she was wide awake. She decided to stay and watch Angeal sleep. –_That may be a little creepy-_ She told herself. She decided instead to roll over so that she was facing the same direction as Angeal, and tried to go back to sleep. She smiled when Angeal pulled her in close to him in his sleep.

Mary's eyes widened when she felt something poke into her lower back. –_It's morning, why are you surprised by that?_- She asked herself. Mary was glad that Angeal was not awake, or he would be able to hear her heart race and feel her face go red. Mary lay still, trying to figure out what to do. One part of her wanted desperately to make a move on him, but the other part kept telling her that it would be a bad idea. –_You told him you could wait until he was ready, making a move now would be pushing him too much. He has to make the decision on his own.-_ She thought. Mary grumbled and tried to hide her face in the pillow.

Angeal had been sleeping well with Mary in his arms. He didn't notice each time that she shifted throughout the night; he just unconsciously adjusted his hold on her. He started to wake slowly when he could feel her body heat rise. He was confused for a few seconds, until he remembered Mary asking to spend the night. He leaned forward and whispered into Mary's ear.

"Good morning."

"Good morning Angeal." She replied, as she turned over again to face him. As soon as her eyes met his, she reached up to give him a quick kiss, hoping she would be able to control herself. She whimpered slightly as he tightened his grip on her and she felt him so close to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked her, pulling away slightly. Mary just nodded her head, not trusting herself enough to open her mouth. Angeal looked down between them to see what could be wrong, and turned red with embarrassment when he realized why Mary had whimpered. "I'll be right back." He said, as he started to get up to go to the bathroom. Mary reached for his arm and tried to pull him back down. Angeal turned and gave her a confused look.

"Can I? I know I said I'd behave but…" She said nervously, her face turning red again. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous. "We don't have to do it like last time, I just want you to relax and be comfortable with this." She said, as she finally got her nerve back. She coaxed Angeal to lie back down on the bed, and leaned in for a kiss.

"Mary." Angeal said, in a desperate voice.

"Do you want me to stop?" She asked him, as she started to gently run her hands down his chest. Angeal shook his head, giving into his desires. "Just tell me if it's too much. Remember what I said, I still mean it." She added. And she did mean it. She wanted to do more, but she never wanted Angeal to feel uncomfortable. Mary made her progress slow, and gave Angeal every opportunity to change his mind, though in his condition, she doubted that he would.

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Angeal embraced Mary tightly, as he lay on his bed, sweating and breathing heavily. He groaned when his alarm started to go off, and he had to release Mary to turn it off. Mary smiled when she saw the happy look on Angeal's face when he turned back to her. She leaned in to kiss him, before getting up off the bed.

"I should probably go back to my own room, I need to shower and get dressed. I'll see you for breakfast?" She asked him.

"Yes, I'll see you then. Mary, thank you." He said, standing to give Mary one last hug before they started their days.

"No, thank you, for trusting me. And thanks for letting me spend the night." She looked up at him, trying to ensure that he knew how sincere she was. "Do you think I can spend the night tonight as well, after our date, of course?" She asked him hopefully. It had been a great night and an even better morning, and she wanted to experience it again.

"We'll see, but I can't imagine saying no to you." He replied, as he kissed her gently. "Now I believe we both need showers." He said, as he released Mary and turned towards his bathroom. Mary grabbed her PHS and then left Angeal's room.

"So, that's why there was no coffee this morning." Mary heard when she walked past the kitchen.

"Sorry Ryu. I hope it wasn't too much trouble for you to make your own coffee." She said sarcastically. Mary shook her head, surprised that she was a bit grouchy. –_It's probably because you didn't go for your run.-_ She realized.

"I'd think you would be nicer after spending the night with Angeal. What, is he holding out until your date?" She asked after noticing the harsh tone Mary had used.

"I can only hope." Mary said, as she made it into her room and closed the door.

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-I think the anticipation for our date tonight is making this meeting even more boring than usual. How is the filing going?- Mary read as she was sitting in Sephiroth's office. The firsts had a meeting with Lazard, and Mary was helping Seph with the filing for all of the new cadets.

-Not that bad, I'm almost done, then I can go start dinner. Text me when you're done.- She replied. It wasn't really that much work to do, so Mary really didn't mind, it was actually just the kind of work Mary enjoyed on occasion. Sephiroth had already gone through and approved all of the papers, Mary just had to put each profile in a labeled file and put it in the filing cabinet in order. Luckily for Mary, Sephiroth used the same type of system that she did, alphabetical by last name. Ryu had warned Mary to not mess with the Turk files, ever, because they used a different system, which Mary just did not understand.

-Will do. And Seph says thank you, again. What would you like me to wear to our date?- Angeal replied. Mary was a little surprised that Angeal was texting her while in a meeting.

-Tell him you're welcome, again. And I don't really care. Well, my preference would be nothing, but if you insist on clothes, something nice but not fancy.- Mary replied. She smiled and blushed a little at the thought of Angeal without his clothes on. She put together the last file and put it in the cabinet. She grabbed the extra folders and put them in the back, and then left Sephiroth's office to return to the apartment.

Mary started by changing into something more casual, but not her outfit for her date. She was planning on wearing a new blue skirt she had bought, and a white tank top with funky side sleeves, and a simple pair of earrings 'Lanna had made for her. When she saw the skirt, she just had to have it. It was a flowy skirt, in her favorite color no less, that was knee length all around for the bottom layer, but the top layer had a longer back. It was fun and different, and just Mary's style. Since she would be cooking and baking, Mary decided that she would wait to change until the food was mostly done.

When Mary was in appropriate clothes, she made her way to the kitchen and started taking out everything that she would need. She looked at everything, and decided to start with cutting up the chicken and letting it soak in the oil and herbs. Once that was done, she decided to mix together the stuff for her brownies, and put that in the oven, as she started cutting up her vegetables.

It was a meal that Mary was used to making, but she was a little nervous about it, because she had never cooked it for Angeal before. She only got a chance to cook on her own when he was away on missions. She had decided to make her basil and garlic chicken, with brown rice and fried green beans. It was a meal that the others always said was good, and it was the easiest for Mary to make. She had chosen to make her mint chocolate brownies for dessert, mainly because they were her favorite. She knew they were delicious, because they were already Zack's favorite dessert, and she had made them back home enough times that her teammates would beg her to make them before team dinners.

While food was cooking, Mary used the spare time between stirring to set up the balcony. She had already hung her lights from Christmas up along the sides, to create a light atmosphere. She grabbed the oval coffee table from her small living room and put that in the center, covering it with a simple tablecloth. The next time she had a spare minute; she grabbed two of her crocheted blankets and folded them up for cushions for her and Angeal to sit on. She had decided that a table and chairs would be too formal, and she preferred sitting on the floor anyways.

When Mary returned to the kitchen, she found Zack leaned forward staring at the oven.

"Go away puppy, they aren't for you." She scowled at him.

"Why not?" He asked her, trying to give her his puppy pout.

"Because they are for my date with Angeal." She replied.

"But they are my favorite! Just one. Please?" He begged her. "One?"

"No begging. If there are any leftover, I will put them in a baggy for you." She said, finally giving in a little bit. "Now shoo. Aren't you supposed to be going out with Reno tonight?" She asked him. She knew he was since she had been the one to bribe Reno to distract him for the night. She was glad that everyone else had already made plans for themselves.

"Yo, someone talking 'bout me?" Reno said, as he came into the kitchen and plopped himself in a chair.

"Yes, you are supposed to be keeping _him_ out of my hair." Mary replied, pointing to Zack.

"Sorry, got caught up in my paperwork, yo." Reno replied.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go." Mary said, the irritation evident in her voice. Reno could tell that she was nervous and on edge.

"Fine, we're going. Have fun on your date. And I want to hear all the juicy details tomorrow." He said, as he got up and pulled Zack away from the oven.

"Not going to happen." Mary yelled as she pulled the brownies out of the oven. There were just about done, so Mary turned it off, but put them back to bake a little longer and to keep them warm. It would still be about half an hour until it was time to eat. Mary checked on the rest of the food, and it was just about ready. She turned everything off, and covered the food so it would stay warm, as she felt her PHS vibrate in her pocket.

-Meeting is over, I'm on my way. I will need a shower, so I'll be ready in about half an hour. Can't wait.- Angeal sent to her.

-Neither can I. I'll see you on the balcony.- Mary smiled as she made her way to her room to quickly shower and change. She quickly dried and styled her hair, and put on a minimal amount of makeup. She knew that Angeal didn't care much about the way she looked, but she still wanted to look a little feminine.

When she returned to the kitchen, she grabbed a pitcher of water and two water goblets and placed them on the coffee table. She returned to grab two wine glasses, hoping that Angeal would remember to bring the wine. She pulled out the brownies and cut them up into large pieces, and put them on a plate and brought those to the balcony as well. She made one last trip to the kitchen to put together the dinner plates. Once both plates were heaped with food, Mary made her way to the balcony, after taking a deep breath. Angeal wasn't on the balcony yet, and so Mary had time to make sure that the table was set nicely and everything looked perfect. Mary face-palmed when she realized that she had forgotten the silverware, and so she left for yet another trip to the kitchen, returning just as Angeal was leaving his room.

Angeal was almost frozen in place when he opened the door to the balcony. It was the first time he had seen Mary in feminine clothing since they had started dating, and it almost took his breath away. He smiled warmly when she turned around and smiled at him, the excitement evident in her face. Before he was able to regain control of his legs, Mary was in front of him, and reached her hands up around his neck and pulled him in for a tight hug. He returned the embrace the best he could with the bottle of wine in his hand. Mary kissed him quickly before letting him go and taking a step back.

"You look nice; blue is a good color for you too, though I think I preferred the green." Mary said, admiring the sky blue button up shirt he was wearing. She loved the way he looked in a button up shirt; it was a nice change from the uniform he wore most of the time. She almost wondered if he had seen her and chose the shirt to match her skirt, the color was very similar.

"It is a good color for you too. You look beautiful tonight." He said, as he leaned in for another gentle kiss. He had been thinking about the date all day, and he was going to enjoy every minute of it. "I got some Banora White Wine from Gen, I hope that is okay." He said when they separated.

"That's perfect." She replied, as she took the bottle from Angeal and opened it. She quickly poured the wine in the glasses she had brought out, and gave one to Angeal as she lifted the other. "A toast to our first date." She said happily. They clinked their glasses together and took a sip. "Yum. I think I like it, which is strange. Wine is not usually my drink of choice."

"I'm glad you like it. The food looks good, what is it?" Angeal asked, as they made their way to the table to sit down.

"Basil and garlic chicken with rice and friend green beans. It's what I usually make when you are on a mission. And for dessert, mint brownies." She answered proudly. "I had to practically chase Zack out of the kitchen when he smelled them." She added with a giggle.

"Begging for food; that does sound like Zack." Mary and Angeal sat and ate their food in silence. Mary smiled as Angeal practically devoured his plate, leaving nothing behind. "That was very good, I'm impressed."

"Why thank you." Mary said, honestly honored for the compliment. "Oh, I forgot music, I'll be right back." Mary said as she hopped up from the floor. She walked to the corner where she had set up her music player and speakers and turned on her LOVELESS soundtrack.

"I thought you hated LOVELESS?" Angeal asked, confused by her choice in music.

"I hate the constant quoting. I actually like the music they play in the background. I'm glad the DVD Gen gave me came with the soundtrack. It's nice, don't you think?" She asked him.

"I guess. I'm not really a fan of music." Angeal replied. "Unless it is you singing, then it is always lovely." He flattered her. It was true; he really did enjoy listening to her sing. Mary rolled her eyes as she sat back down on her blanket.

"Well you are going to have to get used to listening to music. I can't stand silence, and music is a good filler. I guess it's a good thing that you like my voice though, because I sing a lot."

"I am well aware." He teased her.

"Oh, but you aren't. I haven't been singing much around you. Come to think of it, there are a lot of things I don't do around you, or I used to not do around you. You may be seeing more of my hyper childish side soon." She confessed to him.

"Why would you not act like yourself around me?" He asked her. He didn't want her to have to hide her personality from him. He actually enjoyed her childish side, although he had only seen it on rare occasions.

"I was always afraid that you would see me as immature or childish. And I didn't want that. I always wanted to impress you." She admitted.

"I don't think you are immature. I enjoy seeing the real you. You make me feel young again."

"I make you feel young again? Geez, you make it sound like you are an old man 'Geal. You are only 23, which is in no way old. You are only a year older than me." She pointed out.

"But I have acted and felt older for a few years now. I'm glad I have you to make me feel my age again." He corrected himself.

"No problem." She said, as she stood and collected her blanket. She moved over to the other side of Angeal and sat down, leaning against his side. He smiled and put his arm around her shoulder. "This is why I like the balcony." She said softly.

"It is a nice place for a date. Did you put the lights up?" He asked her.

"Yeah, I thought it would add a little romance. But none of that really matters. I only care about you being here with me."

"Me too." Angeal agreed, as he pulled Mary in closer to him.

"So, what is your favorite color?" Mary asked, after a few minutes of silence. She had never actually been on a date, but she imagined part of it being a time to get to know more about the other person.

"Dark green. I'm also starting to really like that blue color you wear a lot, but only on you." He replied. "And you, what is your favorite color?"

"Well, it depends. That blue color is my favorite, but as you know I also really like that bright green. In general I like blues and greens, and most bright colors. I used to really like purple, but I'm pretty sure all girls have a purple phase." She answered. Angeal smiled as she slightly ranted about colors. It would never cease to amaze him how much she could talk when she wanted to.

"I'm not usually a fan of those bright colors, but you somehow make them work." He commented. Mary smiled as she turned and rewarded his compliment with a kiss.

Angeal and Mary continued to ask each other small, unimportant questions for a half hour, before they gave in and got caught up kissing each other. It was another half hour before they pulled away and decided it was time for dessert. When they were finished with the brownies, Mary decided it was time for a few more serious questions.

"Do you want kids someday?" She asked him cautiously. She was not sure if she really wanted to ask, mainly because she did not know how to answer the question herself. Angeal furrowed his brow as he thought seriously about the question.

"It is something I wanted when I was younger, but once I joined SOLDIER I never thought it would happen. I guess if I had a chance, I might like to be a father some day." He replied after a minute. "And you?"

"I still haven't made up my mind. Sometimes I think I would like to be a mom, but other times I can't imagine going through pregnancy and childbirth, and then dealing with a baby. I've never been the fondest of children. Whenever someone would bring a baby to work or something, everyone would freak out and want to hold the baby, saying it was so cute. I was never really interested. But every once in a while, if I have to babysit or help a young kid, I get happy and wish I had one. It's weird. I can't really tell what I want." She answered him, trying to explain her dilemma.

"I think you would make a fantastic mother. You already act like one around here." Angeal said, remembering all the times that Mary had been called 'mom' by the others in the apartment.

"Thanks. I just figure I'll just go with whatever happens. It will really depend on how things work out. I'm not even sure if I can have kids." She said, sadness creeping into the end of her statement.

"What do you mean?"

"When I was twelve I had a surgery to remove my appendix. It wasn't in the correct spot, and they had to cut through my abdomen to get to it. They said after the surgery that they may have cut one of my fallopian tubes. Long story short, I have half the chance of having kids as any other woman." Mary explained.

"I didn't know you had surgery, were you alright?" Angeal asked the worry apparent in his voice.

"Yeah, I just spent a few days in the hospital. I used to have a scar, but the mako fixed it. Which is nice, I thought I'd have that scar my entire life." Mary said, playing down the issue. She would tell him the full story some day, but it was not the happiest story, so it wasn't first date material, not that their current topic was either. "Let's dance." Mary said, suddenly wanting to change the subject.

Without letting him answer, Mary jumped up and pulled Angeal with her, as she walked over to the speakers to turn the music up. She then wrapped her arms around Angeal's neck and leaned into his chest, slowly swaying back and forth. She loved the feeling of Angeal's arms around her lower back, and the flowy skirt floating over her legs. Angeal smiled, honestly enjoying the dancing. He hadn't been too fond of dancing in the past, but he did enjoy himself the last time he danced with Mary. It felt even better now that they were dating, and they were much closer to each other as they swayed.

They continued swaying together and dancing until the music stopped about twenty minutes later. Instead of letting Mary restart the music, Angeal pulled her closer and kissed her deeply. He started letting his hands explore her back, as he continued the kiss. He paused for a moment, and thought deeply about something. He leaned forward for another kiss as he brought his hands to Mary's front and rubbed his thumbs in circles above Mary's hips. Mary whimpered and pulled away from the kiss, looking up at Angeal hopefully. Angeal pulled her close and whispered into her ear.

"I'm ready if you are." He said softly.

"Yes." Mary said, as she kissed Angeal and wrapped her arms back around his neck. Angeal gripped her tightly as he carried her off the balcony and towards his room. Mary thought about stopping for a second to take care of the mess from their date, but that thought quickly vanished as Angeal kissed her deeply again.

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"You keep waking me up like that and I may just become a morning person." Angeal said as Mary curled into his side the next morning.

"Is that a challenge or a promise?" She said teasingly, tilting her head to kiss him. Before he could answer, both PHSs went off on the bedside table. Mary groaned as she rolled over Angeal to see what was going on.

-Meeting in my office in one hour.- She read. She was a little confused until she saw that the text was from Tseng.

"I hope we aren't in trouble." She said out loud, though she had meant it as a thought.

"I doubt it; looks like the message was sent to everyone." Angeal replied, looking at the message on his phone.

"Well, I guess we have to get up now. Can we share the shower or do I have to go back to my room?" She asked him playfully.

"I think we can manage to share." Angeal replied, sitting up and pulling Mary into another playful kiss.

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"Good morning sunshine. I was wondering how long it would be until you came out." Ryu said when Mary and Angeal made it to the kitchen. "I cleaned up your dishes for you. I assumed you weren't going to come back out, since it looked like you left in a hurry." She added, causing Mary to blush slightly.

"Thanks. Any idea what the meeting is about?" Mary asked as she put her bread in the toaster.

"I do, but I don't want to ruin the surprise. I think you will enjoy it though." Ryu replied. She knew that Tseng was planning on sending them all on vacation because of CAGS, but she would keep it to herself.

"What are we talking about?" Alanna asked as she and Gen joined the small group in the kitchen.

"The meeting with Tseng. She knows what it is about but won't tell." Mary answered, pouting in a comical way.

"Oh, so that's a meeting with everyone. Good, I thought we were in trouble." Alanna said, taking her seat once she had gotten her coffee. "Not that we've done anything to warrant that or anything." Gen let out a soft chuckle at that.

"So how did your date go?" Mary asked, suddenly remembering that Alanna had her first date the night before as well. She hoped it had gone just as well for her friend as it had gone for her.

"Good. The play was nice, and the seats were amazing. The restaurant was really good too." Alanna replied.

"The limo ride was the best part though, in my opinion." Gen added playfully.

"Oh really? Did you have some private fun in the limo?"

"Unfortunately yes, and it wasn't that private." Morgan said, alerting everyone to his presence at the doorway to the kitchen.

"Blame Ryu; she's the one who volunteered you two to be on duty." Alanna retorted. Ryu stuck her tongue out at her for that.

"I think it is time to go, we have that meeting, remember." Angeal said, interrupting the conversation as he stood from his chair.

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"So how was your date?" Alanna asked Mary, while Ryu moved to stand closer to get the details.

"Perfect."

"So, was he just waiting for the date?" Ryu asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't." Mary replied. She didn't feel comfortable answering the question with Angeal in the elevator, but she knew that they would know what she meant by it.

"You look different. Even happy." Genesis commented to his best friend. Angeal turned to him and gave him a hardened look. "Oh, I see. Congrats. No guilt this time?" Genesis asked knowingly.

"None. And I am happy." Angeal replied. "And I hope you are too."

"Oh, very much so. You aren't the only lucky one around here." He said, reaching forward to pull 'Lanna closer to him.

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"I have decided that we all need a vacation, after everything we have been through the past two weeks." Tseng began once everyone was crowded into his office. "We will be spending the next week at Costa Del Sol. We will leave mid morning tomorrow, so you will have this afternoon to shop for anything that you will need. I will see you all tomorrow." He said, almost cracking a smile seeing the happy reactions on everyone's faces.

"Awesome! Hey Cloud, wanna go shopping with me? I need a new bathing suit." Zack said, once they were dismissed. He hadn't seen much of his best friend in the past few weeks, and he was hoping to spend some guy time with him on this trip.

"Sure, I need one too. I've never gone to the beach before." Cloud said.

"Wait up. We should all go. We will all need bathing suits, and towels. And we should probably get some hair dye and bandanas for you guys." Ryu said, catching up to the SOLDIERs.

"Why?" Zack asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Because we need to disguise you, at least a little. You can't go running around a popular beach attracting attention." Ryu explained.

"Oh, okay. Let's go then." He replied enthusiastically. Zack loved the beach and couldn't wait.

"I think we'll have to wait a few minutes, we appear to be missing some people." Morgan said. Zack looked around and realized that Mary and Angeal, and Genesis and Alanna were missing.

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"Is there something you wanted?" Tseng asked when he looked up to see two SOLDIERs and two SOLDIER Turks still standing in his office.

"Um… well, we were going to ask about room assignments." Mary said nervously.

"I put you with Angeal, and Alanna with Genesis. If that is a problem, it can be changed." He said, pinching his nose. He knew about their new relationships, and had anticipated that they would want to spend their vacations together. He had also put himself in a room with Cloud, so he thought it was only fair.

"No, that's perfect. Thank you, sir." Mary said formally. She was used to Tseng and was usually casual around him, but anytime she was in the offices she felt the need to be formal. Tseng just nodded in response as he went back to his work. There was still a lot that he needed to sort out before they left. He knew that he wouldn't get it all done, and he would be spending a good chunk of his time doing work instead of enjoying a vacation.

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"Which one do you like?" Angeal asked, looking through a rack of swim trunks. He really did not care about fashion, so he was hoping Mary would choose for him.

"Doesn't matter to me, it's your bathing suit, you choose." Mary said, flipping through the racks. Angeal looked at her pleadingly and she gave in, pulling out a pair of light and dark green ones. "How about these?"

"Those look fine." He said, taking them from her and making sure they were the right size. "Good, they are the right size. Well I'm done; let's go find one for you." He said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the women's section. He wanted to get out quickly; he wasn't much a fan of shopping, or spending money.

"Are you going to let me wear a bikini, or do I have to find a one piece?" She asked him, hoping he wasn't going to get upset if she found a bikini she liked. She had always wanted to wear one, but had never had the body for it.

"We'll see." He said, as they started flipping through the racks.

"Hey Ryu! I found one for you!" Mary yelled across the store. She found a red bikini that she thought would look perfect on her friend, and it was the perfect shade of red. Within a minute Ryu had jogging around the corner to see.

"Oh, pretty. Nice find. I'll try it, thankies." She said, as she grabbed it and turned around. "I'm still working on getting one for grumpy pants over there."

"Good luck with that." Mary called after her friend.

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"Oh my goddess, yes!" Mary almost screamed when she found the perfect one. It was bright green, and in the sporty athletic cut that she always liked. "How about this one?" She asked, as she held it up to show Angeal.

"Try it on first." Angeal said, trying to keep his excitement under control.

"Fine. Could you go find two green beach towels while I get changed? It should be just a minute."

"Will do. I will be right back." He said, as he took off for the towel section. He quickly found two large ones in green, and he returned right as Mary was peeking out to see where he was. Mary stepped out and Angeal's eyes almost bugged out of his head. "I approve, but I'm not sure if I want anyone else to see you. I may just have to lock you in our room for a week." He said, putting his hands on her waist and pulling her in for a quick kiss.

"Behave yourself, we are in public." She said, pushing him a way gently. "And though I would love being locked in a room with you, I don't think that's the point of this vacation." She replied. "But I like it, so do you approve?" He nodded his head, and watched as she turned and went back to put her normal clothes on. He did like the cut and the color; they both suited her very well.

"Alright, now we have suits, and you got the towels. Now I think we just need bandanas and sunscreen, then we should be all set." She said as she exited with her suit clenched in her hands.

"Sunscreen? Don't you think you should try to tan a little? You will need to if you are ever going to pass as me."

"There is no tanning with my skin. I can get a bit more color, but I still need the sunscreen; unless you want me red as a lobster and unable to move for days. My skin likes to burn, and then blister, and then peel. It's gross and painful." Mary informed him. "Sunscreen is a must."

"You just keeping giving me reasons to keep you locked inside." He said, wrapping his arm behind her as she started looking through the varying SPF's.

"Wow, looks like I woke up some other person deep down inside; and I think I like it." Mary said, turning and kissing Angeal on the cheek.

"It's a side only you get to see."

"Her and whatever poor Turk has to keep an eye on you." Morgan muttered as he and Ryu walked up to them. Tseng had given out the assignments to the Turks before they left to shop, and he would be on Angeal and Mary duty for most of the trip. He was not excited to have to stand around all day and be a witness to their 'honeymoon stage' PDA.

"Hey Mary, could you come with me, I need your opinion on the suit." Ryu asked kindly.

"You haven't tried it on yet? How long does it take to find swim trunks Morgan?" She asked him. She knew he had probably not wanted to pick one for himself, but was also difficult by rejecting each one that Ryu chose. Morgan was not much a fan of the beach, and really didn't like wearing just swim trunks.

"Not yet. Let's go. Morgan, you can stay here with 'Geal if you want, then it can be a surprise when we get there tomorrow." She said, turning and pulling Mary towards the changing room.

"That was kind of a tease. I doubt he's going to stay over there now."

"Whatever. I just hope it fits, I really like the color." Ryu replied, as she closed the curtain and started changing.

"Here, this too." She heard Morgan say, as a sarong was passed through the curtain. Ryu took it and looked at it angrily. She could understand why Morgan would want her to cover up, but it would be the beach, and she would finally get a chance to show off her body that she had worked hard for. Getting an idea, she wrapped the sarong around her head and inspected herself in the mirror. She was happy with the result, so she opened the curtain to show Mary and Morgan.

"What do you think?" She asked, as she dramatically threw her arms up in a model pose, flicking her head so the sarong flowed behind her.

"That is not what that was for." Morgan groaned as he tried to position himself so no one could see his girlfriend from the rest of the store. Ryu stuck her tongue out at him in response.

"So?" She turned to ask Mary.

"Looks good to me, although the sarong headband looks funny. I'm sure it would look better around you hips. Let me see." She said, reaching forward to remove the headpiece. She took it and tied it around Ryu's hips, tying the knot so it left a slit over Ryu's left leg. "There, that looks much better."

"Thanks. I wouldn't have actually gone out to the beach like that, by the way. I think I like the sarong this way. Thanks for the pick Morgan, it even matches." She said, as Morgan smacked himself in the face and shook his head.

"Why me?" He muttered.

"Oh hush Morgan, it won't be that bad. It's not like you need to watch us that closely. I swear, any of his fans have the nerve to get near Angeal, I will kill them myself. And I'm sure you will find some time to be together. And just think, no paperwork." Mary said, trying to reassure Morgan. It would be no fun knowing that one of her friends was miserable about the whole thing.

"Whatever. Could you at least keep the PDA to a minimum?" He asked, as they all made their way to the register.

"Yeah, probably not." Mary answered, wrapping her arm around Angeal's lower back. "So, who is going first?" She asked Angeal, as Ryu and Morgan were almost finished with their transaction. He looked down and gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean? I assumed I would be paying for everything. Isn't that what boyfriends do?"

"No. Well yes, sometimes, but I think that is just stupid. I can pay for myself."

"Are you sure?" He asked her hesitantly, a little worried that it may be a trap.

"Yes. And since when do you volunteer to spend unnecessary money?" She teased, as she put her purchases down and paid for them. She grabbed her bag and joined Ryu and Morgan, waiting for Angeal. Once they were done, they made their way back to the apartment. Alanna and Genesis had gone to a different store, and Zack had gone with Cloud and were finished much sooner. They were probably at a gaming store, or the arcade. Reno and Rude were in charge of watching them, so the small group didn't worry about it. None of them knew where Piper and Matti had taken off to. Wherever they were, there was probably a battle of 'I don't know, what do you want' happening. Sephiroth had passed on the shopping trip, since he loathed shopping, and he figured he had everything he would need already.

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"See you all tomorrow morning." Mary said, as she got up and made her way to Angeal's room, with him only a step behind her. They had already packed their bags and were ready to go.

"It's a little early for bed, don't you think?" Angeal said, as they made their way to the bedroom.

"Who said anything about going to bed?" She replied, as she pulled Angeal down onto the bed kissing him.

* * *

Ahh, awkward sex talk. Another thing I can imagine would be highly awkward, so that is how I wrote it. Coming up, the beach!


	12. Chapter 12

Yay, vacation at Costa del Sol! Sunshine, swimming, sleeping in, sexual innuendos… all the goods. Let me know what you think. I will post whenever the main story allows me to. Most of this stuff is in between the chapter for the main story, definitely read both, more action in the main story, I mainly just write fluff. I'm posting now, hopefully the main story gets this chapter posted soon. I don't think I spoil anything in this chapter, so it shouldn't matter that I'm jumping the gun.

Disclaimer: ff7 belongs entirely to square enix.

* * *

"So what exactly are we being punished for again? Why do we have to ride with the new couples? This is awful." Morgan groaned to Ryu, who was leaning into him, almost asleep. It had already been a long ride, and they were only a little more than halfway there.

"Just ignore them." Ryu replied, poking Morgan in the side. "And stop being grumpy. This is a vacation, sort of. At least try to enjoy it."

"I would enjoy it more if I could actually spend it with you." He replied.

"We will get to spend time together. I'll figure something out. Plus we will have our nights alone in our rooms." She replied, lifting her eyebrows at the end comment. Morgan shook his head and pulled Ryu closer to him.

"You'd think you would be happier about a private hotel room." Mary said, as she turned around in her seat. "You seriously need to lighten up. I think you've started brooding even more now that you hang out with Rude so much."

"You hear that Rude, Mary thinks you brood, yo." Mary heard Reno say through her ear mic. She wasn't used to wearing them all the time, and had forgotten that all the Turks could hear her.

"Sorry Rude, no offense." Mary added quickly. Angeal gave her a slightly confused look. Mary pointed to her earring and rolled her eyes.

"None taken." Rude answered. He was just about as excited for the vacation as Morgan was, although he did agree that they all needed a break and time to get over Elena's death.

"Can you guys always hear everything I say through these things?" Mary asked Ryu. She wasn't sure if she was very comfortable with that, and she was sure her friends would rather not hear certain things.

"Our AI's filter through everything that goes through the mics, and will let stuff that we would consider important be heard. If you say someone's name, whatever you say will go through to that person. If you are going to say something that we shouldn't hear, just cover it with your hand and talk quietly." Ryu explained, putting emphasis on the end. She could just imagine the types of things that could be said between Mary and Angeal that no one, except maybe Reno, would want to hear.

"Okay, good. And we can turn them off at night, right?" Mary asked.

"YES. Definitely yes." Morgan replied at the same time as Ryu.

"I'm pretty sure they don't want to hear you two at night. No one does. You should keep in mind that the hotel doesn't have soundproof walls." Alanna said, pulling herself from Gen's lap to tease Mary.

"We'll keep that in mind." Mary said, turning back around and leaning on Angeal again.

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"You know, we'll have to get out soon. I will need sunscreen if you don't want me to be a lobster." Mary said, as she sat treading water with Angeal. He had pulled her across the beach and into the water without letting her put on her sunscreen.

"I don't know, maybe you'd be cute as a lobster." He teased, pulling her closer to him for a quick kiss. They had only been at the beach for half an hour, but he already felt relaxed and happy.

"I doubt you'd think it was cute if I had to sit in an ice cold bath all day and you wouldn't be allowed to touch me." Mary pointed out. Angeal frowned and furrowed his brow.

"No, that does not sound like fun at all."

"Let's go. You can put the sunscreen on and then we can just lie on the beach and enjoy the sun for a little while." Mary said, as she turned and started swimming back to the shore. She was surprised that they had made it so far out and she hadn't panicked. Mary was afraid of open water, and would usually have a small panic attack if she got too far away from shore. She smiled as she thought of how Angeal always had a way to help her through her fears.

"Do you like the beach? Is this something you would have done back in your world?" Angeal asked, as they sat on their towels and he spread the sunscreen over Mary's back and shoulders.

"The beach is nice. I never used to spend much time at them growing up, but the college I was at was right on the beach. Even then, I didn't spend too much time on the beach on sunny days like this. I preferred overcast or rainy days. I prefer the woods on sunny days. It doesn't hurt my eyes as much and I don't get as burnt. But it's not bad here, now that my eyes are fixed. Make sure to get under the bikini too; the material is not the best." Mary said, as she rubbed the sunscreen on her legs and arms. "And do you like the beach? You seem to be a good swimmer."

"We didn't really have a beach in Banora, so I only went occasionally when Genesis would bring me. It wasn't so much fun, since he would love to sit on the beach and sunbathe, while I preferred swimming. We did have some ponds and lakes near Banora though. I used to swim as far across the lake as I could and back, until I was finally able to make it the whole way. I always enjoyed the water during the summer."

"I used to do that. My aunt used to bring me to a lake and we would swim all the way down the length, and sometimes across. I wasn't the best swimmer, but I was really good at floating when I was younger. Alanna taught me how to swim properly, now I'm much faster. I still hate putting my face in the water though." Mary continued the conversation. She really enjoyed how things were going. She enjoyed having real conversations with Angeal, where he would talk about more than just SOLDIER, and would talk more openly about things.

"Alanna taught you how to swim? Haven't you only known her for a few years?" Angeal asked, surprised.

"Yeah, she was a swimmer in high school, so she knows proper form and technique. We would go to the pool for fun, and she would teach us proper form, and how to do fun things like flip-turns. And she would try to drown us, sometimes. Never seriously, but it was still annoying." Mary replied, remembering all the times she had freaked out in the pool because Alanna had grabbed her foot and pulled her under. "Though, flip-turns are not so fun when she isn't around. Ryu and I went without her one day, and we both ended up with concussions." Mary added, rubbing her head at the memory.

"How did you get a concussion while swimming?" Angeal asked, confused as to how the two girls had managed to hurt their heads while swimming.

"Well, I misjudged the distance to the wall and swam straight into it. I think Ryu pushed at the wrong angle and whacked her head off the floor. We were practicing in the shallow end. It is actually really easy to hit your head in a pool." Mary explained, feeling a little embarrassed, it had not been her best moment.

"Did you guys swim a lot?"

"We tried to, and there were weeks when we would swim a lot. But then classes and other things would get in the way. I tried to swim a certain amount each week, to prepare for my triathlon, but I also had to run and bike, on top of school. It was always really hard to manage everything back then." Mary said, remembering all the times she had become too stressed and too tired to do anything she knew she had to do. She had given in many times and had crashed into her bed to nap instead of doing something productive.

"What is a triathlon? Is that a sporting event in your world?"

"It's a race that some people do. It's usually something that people don't start doing until they get older. It is a race involving swimming, running, and biking. The distances depend on what type of race it is. The one I did at my school was a sprint triathlon, so it was relatively short, and it was a reverse, so the order was backwards. We had to run 5km, bike 20km, and then swim 150 meters in the pool. Usually a sprint is a 1km swim, bike 20km, and then run 5km." Mary explained to him, understanding that it wouldn't seem that impressive to him, given that they did stuff like that every day. "In our world, we don't have something like mako to enhance people, so it's actually impressive to do those things. But it is most impressive when you get to long distance triathlons. They have this one called the Iron Man, which I would love to do, I've seen it on TV a few times. It is a 3.9km swim, and then a 180km bike, and then a 42.2km run. The professionals take about 8 hours to complete it. But they also have a lot of normal people who do it, and they start at sunrise and end at midnight, so most people are going all day. It's really impressive, at least to me."

"That sounds challenging, even to me. I think you could have done that, with the right training. You are a really good runner, and you appear to be a good swimmer. I can't imagine you having a hard time with biking either." Angeal replied when Mary finally stopped talking.

"Yeah, the trick is training. I have a hard time doing it on my own. I owe a lot to you, Angeal. I would never be able to reach the level I'm at without you helping me and pushing me." Mary admitted, as a slight blush developed on her cheeks.

"You owe a lot to yourself too. You never gave in, you never quit, and you always did what I asked of you. I've seen many men give up where you kept going. You are a very determined and motivated individual." Angeal said, putting his hand on the back on Mary's neck gently. "It's something I admire very much about you." He added, as he pulled her in for a gentle kiss.

"I wouldn't have been half as motivated for anyone else, Angeal. I always liked you, always wanted to impress you." She admitted when he pulled away.

"And I was always impressed." He said, as he put his hand over Mary's, and laced his fingers through hers. Mary smiled as she turned to look back out to the water.

"I think the sunscreen has set in. Want to go back in the water?" She asked. Without responding, Angeal stood and pulled Mary to her feet, and raced to the water again.

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Angeal frowned a little when he and Mary returned to their room to shower and change for dinner. Once they were inside and out of the natural sunlight, he could see how pink and almost red she had gotten. "Looks like you got a little burnt." He said.

"It probably looks worse than it is. Usually if it's a bad burn I can feel it, but I feel fine. I'll just need to put some Aloe on it after my shower. It should be fine by tomorrow." Mary replied, as she opened her suitcase and chose her outfit for dinner.

"Are you sure? You aren't in pain or anything?" He asked her worriedly.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it. But maybe tomorrow we can find a shadier spot to hang out. It might give us some more privacy as well. I'd hate to keep bothering everyone with our PDA." She offered teasingly.

"That sounds great. Now, I think it's time for a shower." He said, pulling out his own clothes.

"And I would agree with you. I would like to get all this salt off me, it's starting to itch." Mary said as she made her way into the bathroom. Angeal followed her without hesitation, and Mary smiled. She had been worried that Angeal would feel uncomfortable in the hotel, but that didn't appear to be the case. "And then you can put the Aloe on me." She said teasingly, as she bent over to start the shower.

"It would be my pleasure."

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Mary rubbed her eyes as she woke the next morning to the sun filtering through the shades. She grabbed her watch from the nightstand and put it back, deciding it was too early to get up. She usually would have been awake two hours earlier, but since it was her vacation she didn't see a need to get up. The bed was also very comfortable, and Mary didn't want to leave the comfort. She rolled over and cuddled with Angeal, who was still asleep.

It was another hour until Angeal started to stir, the sunlight finally rousing him from his sleep. He opened his eyes to see Mary snuggled into his chest, fast asleep. He smiled to himself; this was a nice sight, and one that he had rarely gotten a chance to see. It didn't last for long, as Mary started to wake; feeling the slight changes in Angeal's breathing pattern and heart rate. She slowly opened her eyes to see Angeal watching her.

"Good morning." She said, as she yawned.

"Good morning." He said, as he kissed her forehead. "I'm surprised I found you still sleeping."

"I was awake earlier, but didn't feel like getting up. It's too comfy here." She replied, hugging Angeal's arm.

"You were awake earlier and you didn't try anything? That is unusual." He teased her. They had only shared a bed three other times, but all three of those times she had given him a very good reason to wake up early in the morning.

"We have plenty of time for that stuff. I'm pretty sure no one is going to get up for another hour or so. I wanted to enjoy this, this is nice." Mary replied, running her hand up and down Angeal's chest. Angeal wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"I do enjoy this. So, you really think we have an hour to spare?" He asked her, as he ran his hands down her back. She nodded and reached up to kiss him. She squeaked and giggled as Angeal started to tickle her stomach and her hips.

"Stop it!" She screamed through her laughing. "No fair!" She said, as she tried to retaliate to no avail. No matter how hard she tried, Angeal was not ticklish.

"What do you say?" He asked, as he continued tickling her sides. Mary had a way of bringing out his playful childish side, and he enjoyed it.

"Please?" She asked, as she tried to push him away, even though he was much stronger than her. He stopped and pulled her in for another kiss, gently running his hands down her sides to apologize for the tickling. "I think you owe me something now." Mary said when she could control her breathing again.

"Oh really, and what would that be?"

"Well, you tickled my hips. I do believe we have an agreement about that." Mary pointed out.

"I believe you are right." Angeal replied, running his hands over her hips again. He rolled over Mary and looked down at her, before kissing her deeply. "What do you say?" He asked her again.

"Please." She whispered, as she ran her hand along the back of his ears. She was pulled into another deep kiss as Angeal reached for something in the side drawer.

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"Hey puppy, are you enjoying the beach?" Mary said, as she and Angeal made their way up the beach to spend some time with their friends. Zack and Piper had just finished making a sand castle.

"Yup!" Piper replied enthusiastically. She loved the beach, and was glad that she had Zack around to play with her. She wanted to spend some time with Matti, but she knew that he was supposed to be working. Luckily he was assigned to walk around and keep an eye on everything, so he could be around frequently.

"Where did Bossman take off to?" Mary asked her.

"He had to do a round of the area. He'll be back in a few minutes." Piper replied, as she put the last finishing touch on the castle. She sat back and admired her work.

"Looks good, Piper puppy. I'm getting hungry; do you want something to eat?" Zack asked, as he stood and stretched his back. He had enjoyed making the castle, but he wasn't used to kneeling for so long.

"I could eat a snack. You guys hungry?" She asked, remembering that Angeal and Mary were with them.

"I could eat. What do they have for vendors around here?" Mary asked.

"There is an ice cream stand, and a popsicle stand, and a hotdog stand." Zack started rambling off the things he had already seen that day.

"Ooh, a popsicle sounds good. You want one puppy?" Mary said enthusiastically.

"Yes!" Piper said. She loved popsicles.

"I want a popsicle!" Mary heard Alanna say through the mic.

"Me too, I'll be right there." Ryu joined in. Mary smirked, thinking of the fun they could have once they got their snack. When they had purchased their popsicles and were sitting on the beach, Matti finally returned from his round.

"Hey bossman. Look, we got popsicles!" Mary said, pointing to Piper, who had already opened hers and was licking it like a puppy. Matti pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

"Why would you do that?" He asked, although he could guess the answer.

"You make it sound like we had an ulterior motive. We just like popsicles." Ryu answered.

"I'm sure you do." Alanna teased, nudging Ryu in the side. "Though I think Mary likes them more." She said, pointing to Mary, who had the whole thing in her mouth. They all laughed as Angeal stared at her, his eyes wide and his mouth open.

"Would you stop teasing poor Angeal?" Matti asked, as he sat down next to Piper, trying to ignore the way she was going at her snack.

"You call it teasing, I call it foreshadowing." Mary replied, as she pulled the popsicle out of her mouth and licked the stream of liquid that was making its way down her hand.

"Did not need to know that." Alanna said, as she shook her head and made her way back to Genesis, who was farther down on the beach. Mary just shrugged as she licked the popsicle again. It was only a minute more before Angeal stood and pulled Mary to her feet, and practically dragged her across the sand and towards the hotel.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Morgan asked, since it was his job to keep an eye on them.

"To our room. We'll be back in a bit." Mary replied, giggling at the horrified look on Matti and Morgan's faces.

"Stop it brain." Matti said to himself, as he pinched his nose again.

"Got an image you don't want?" Ryu asked him when she finished her treat.

"Yes. I wish I could kill that little part of my brain that is a douche-bag." He replied, still trying to keep the image out of his mind.

"At least it's not a monkey." Alanna said through the mics.

"Oh god why?" Matti said, as he fell over sideways and tried to bury his head in the sand.

"That was mean, 'Lanna." Ryu said through her giggling.

"No, it was funny." Alanna replied, laughing at the confused look on Genesis' face.

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"That was not very nice." Angeal said when they finally made it to the room.

"What can I say, I like popsicles." Mary said, shrugging. "I had to get you back somehow for tickling me this morning." She added playfully.

"I guess I did deserve it then." He replied, pulling her in for a kiss. "Now, I think you said something about foreshadowing?" He said as he pulled away.

"Something like that." Mary said, smirking and raising her eyebrows.

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Mary and Angeal walked down the beach, enjoying the cool night breeze and looking up at the stars. Mary enjoyed the sunshine during the day, but she preferred the cooler temperature of the night. She also really enjoyed the way the stars and moon reflected on the water. They walked hand in hand for a long while before they began to tire and decided to take a break and sit on the sand. Angeal wrapped his arm around Mary and pulled her close as they looked over the water.

"The wind sails over the water's surface, quietly, but surely." Mary said softly.

"Don't tell me you are going to start quoting now." Angeal said. He already had to deal with his best friend quoting the play all of the time.

"No, it just popped into my mind. It actually happens a lot. I think I know all the lines by now, I just don't know what order they go in." Mary admitted. "But I will never sit and quote like those two." She added.

"Good." Angeal replied quietly.

They sat for a while in silence, enjoying the view and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. Mary looked over the water, trying to decide what to do. She was happy that things were going so well between her and Angeal, and the vacation was just what they needed. They had talked about many things in just the few days they had been together, and Mary felt that they were making great progress. She didn't want to jeopardize the way things were going, but she also felt as though there was something that she needed to tell Angeal. She was sure that he was not going to be happy about it, but she was hoping that he could look past it, and would appreciate her honesty. Mary made up her mind and took a deep breath.

Mary turned to Angeal and pushed him over in the sand. Before he could react, she was sitting on his chest and had both his arms pinned to his side. She looked down at him nervously.

"Mary, what are you doing?" He asked gently. He was fighting the side of him that had startled and wanted to fight back.

"I need to tell you something, and I don't think you are going to like it. I need you to promise me that you will stay here with me." She said.

"Why would I leave you? What is going on?" He asked, confused.

"Just promise, please?" She begged him.

"Fine, I promise. I will stay right here. Now what is going on?" Angeal asked, as Mary took another deep breath.

"Well, remember how after that first night, you didn't talk to me for a few days. And you remember how I was really upset and felt rejected? One of those nights I got really upset, and I couldn't take it anymore. I ended up in Reno's apartment." Mary blurted out. She clenched her hands and pushed all her weight on Angeal's arms when she felt him struggle to keep himself on the ground. "That came out wrong. Nothing bad happened, I promise." She said quickly, trying to calm Angeal down.

"Reno. Why would you go to Reno?" He said sternly, trying not to yell and draw attention to them.

"Yo! What are you doing Mary?! I thought we agreed not to tell him? He's gonna kill me!" Mary heard Reno say in her mic. Mary shook her head and focused on finding a way to explain what happened to Angeal.

"I went to Reno because I knew that he wouldn't reject me. It was stupid, I know. But we kissed, and that was it. Reno calmed me down and helped me realize that you were the only one I wanted to be with." Mary explained.

"So, he didn't try anything with you?"

"No, he was actually well behaved. But it was late, and we were both tired, so I ended up falling asleep in his apartment. The kiss was all that happened, I promise."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Angeal asked, his anger starting to fade.

"I didn't want there to be any secrets between us." Mary admitted.

"Thank you for telling me the truth." Angeal said, as he got his arms free and pulled Mary down to his chest.

"You're welcome. Reno was really a gentleman that night; promise me you won't confront him about it."

"I promise, as long as it was just a kiss." Angeal bargained.

"It was, and it won't happen again. You are the only one I want." Mary replied, as she gently kissed Angeal.

"Then I promise." Angeal said, as he squeezed Mary tighter. They lay that way for a while, silently enjoying the moment. Angeal was glad that Mary felt close enough to admit that to him, and Mary was glad that she finally got that off of her chest. She was bad at keeping secrets, and she already had many things that she couldn't tell Angeal, she didn't want personal secrets on top of that.

"We should probably start making our way back to the hotel; it is starting to get late." Mary pointed out, as she pushed herself off Angeal and stood up, offering her hand to pull him up after her.

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"Hey, looks like there is a party tonight." Ryu said, as she ripped the flier off the hotel wall. "Since it will be our last night, we should totally go."

"Sounds like fun. I'm in." 'Lanna said, taking the flier from her friend.

"Me too. You know I won't pass up dancing." Mary chimed in. Angeal shook his head from his place behind Mary. "We should take a trip down the boardwalk today. I will need a dress for the party, and I want to see if they have any good souvenirs." Mary said to Angeal.

"Souvenirs are a waste of money, and you don't need a dress just for a party; you have plenty of clothes in your suitcase." Angeal replied, as they made their way out to the beach.

"I know I don't need one, but I want one. It's my money; I will spend it on whatever I want. And I want something to remember this trip, other than just the pictures." Mary replied, getting a little angry with Angeal. She had really hoped that this argument wouldn't happen while they were still on vacation, though she knew it would happen eventually.

"But you shouldn't spend your money on things you don't need. Haven't we had this discussion before?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to do everything you tell me to. I know how to handle my money Angeal. I make enough to buy things I don't need every once in a while. And this is our vacation; this is the perfect time to buy something you don't need. I'm going shopping today; if you don't want to come, I'll see if Ryu or Alanna want to go with me." Mary said.

"Fine, I'll go." Angeal conceded. He hated shopping, but this was the last day of their vacation, and he didn't want to be away from Mary, not even for a short amount of time.

"Good. Race you to the water!" Mary yelled, as she dropped her things and started sprinting to the water. Angeal set his things down next to hers and took off after her, catching her just as they hit the water.

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"Don't be so mopey; this won't take long, I promise." Mary said, as she pulled Angeal through the shops, looking for a dress for the party. Even though a dress was her main goal, she had been looking quickly at the other shops as they passed through, just in case something caught her eye. She wanted some kind of memento to remember the trip.

"I've heard that before." Angeal mumbled.

"I'm not as bad a Gen. I just need to find… there it is." Mary pointed, as she saw a stall with beach style dresses hanging. Mary quickly pushed through the racks until she found what she was looking for. "How about this?" She asked, as she put the dress up to her body to show Angeal.

"Very… you." Angeal replied, when he saw the one shouldered dress. It was green and black and white, and had a fun pattern that reminded him of Mary.

"Good. I think we are done then, unless I see something on our way out. I'll be right back." She said, as she made her way to pay for the dress. She returned in less than a minute, with the dress and a matching headband.

"I thought you were just getting a dress?" Angeal teased, as he put his arm around Mary's waist as they made their way back to their room.

"I was, but then I saw the matching headband, and just had to get it. It's a girl thing, don't try to understand it." She replied with a smile.

"So, now that that is done, what would you like for lunch?" Angeal asked.

"I don't know what do you want?" Mary answered, as Angeal shook his head and sighed. "Seriously, I don't know. I chose the daily activity, you choose the food."

"Oh not you too, Mary." She heard Matti say through her headset. Matti was always glad that Mary had no problem making decisions about simple things like what to eat. He had to constantly play the 'I don't know, what do you want' game with Piper, and it drove him nuts.

"Shut up Matti, this is none of your business." She retorted. Angeal tilted his head in confusion, he still had not gotten used to the conversations going on through the earpieces. Mary shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"How about we go to that grill you liked the other day?" Angeal offered.

"Sounds good to me." Mary replied. They stopped at their room to quickly drop off Mary's purchases, and then made their way to the grill for their lunch. When they arrived, they found Matti and Piper there already. Mary gave Matti a look, and raised her eyebrows.

"What? The grill sounded good." Matti said.

"I hate wearing these stupid headsets." Mary muttered, as she and Angeal sat down at a table and opened their menus.

"Hey, those stupid headsets will save your life, I guarantee it." Ryu said, having heard Mary's comment.

"Oh shut up firecracker." Mary said, right as their waiter showed up. "Sorry about that." Mary apologized, as she looked back to the menu and ordered her food.

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"What's the matter, did I tire you out?" Mary said, as Angeal clung to her while they stood in the elevator on their way back to their room. He seemed to get very clingy when he was tired, or when he drank too much. Angeal replied by nodding his head into her shoulder.

"I think you made him dance too much." Ryu commented from where she was hiding in Morgan's side.

"No such thing as too much dancing." Zack said. He was still hyper from the party, and was upset that they were leaving so soon.

"I'm glad someone agrees with me." Mary replied.

"I would suggest that you and Zack pair up since you both love it so much, but I don't think Angeal would approve." Alanna joined in the conversation. She was met by a glare from Angeal, which caused Gen to laugh lightly into her neck.

"Don't be jealous, it's just Zack." Mary said, patting Angeal's arm to comfort him.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Zack asked offended.

"It means we all love you, but in a sibling kind of way." Ryu replied. "Or as a puppy." She added, giggling.

"Ahh, I love you all too!" Zack almost yelled.

"Zack…" Angeal scolded.

"Sorry." He replied, scratching the back of his head. When the elevator doors opened he bounced out and made his way to his own room, waving goodbye to his friends.

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"Umph." Mary said as she was pulled down to the bed with Angeal. "You really are tired, aren't you?" She asked, as he continued holding her, but made no move to do anything after they had landed on the bed.

"Yes. I don't know if I'll be able to handle this once we go back to work." He said solemnly.

"Is my appetite a bit much for you?" She teased him.

"Maybe." He replied, pulling her even closer to him.

"It won't always be like this, part of it is because this is vacation." Mary explained. "We should go to sleep if we are going to be up early tomorrow. But you need to let me up first. I'm not sleeping in this dress." She added.

When she felt Angeal's arms loosen from her waist, she got up and changed into a loose tank top that was sitting at the top of her bag. When she turned around, she found Angeal had rolled just enough to be sprawled out on the end of the bed. She shook her head and made her way to the bed, and removed his shirt and shorts, and pushed him playfully towards his side of the bed.

"You're being a brat, you know that?" She asked when he rolled back over to where he had begun. "Please move?" She asked him kindly. Angeal smiled and moved up to his spot, and pulled the blankets down before laying back down.

"A taste of your own medicine." He said, and he pulled the blanket up around them.

"When have I ever been a brat?" Mary asked playfully.

"There was that time you had chocolate, and the popsicle incident." Angeal pointed out.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. That was funny." She said giggling.

"For you maybe." He replied, putting his arm around her and pulling her close again.

"It wouldn't have been so bad if you weren't so stubborn and clueless."

"I wasn't clueless; I think I was in denial. But I'm glad we got over that." He said, kissing the back of her neck.

"Me too." Mary replied, wrapping her fingers through Angeal's. "Not that I don't enjoy sleeping with you, but once we go back, I should probably sleep in my own room, at least during the week."

"That might be a good idea." Angeal replied with a yawn. Before they could talk any more, Angeal nodded off to sleep. Mary smiled when she felt Angeal fall asleep, and closed her eyes and let the warmth lull her to sleep.

* * *

This is when I had to really up the rating, because lanna and ryu say that I was crossing the line and laughing maniacly… oh well, I think it's fun hope you all think it's funny too :P


	13. Chapter 13

I got a new follower today, so I decided it was time for the next chapter! Hopefully people are enjoying this, I know Mary is ;). So, I don't believe any of this actually connects to anything in the main story (except Lanna going on to LOVELESS with Gen, no surprise there), so you don't have to read any of that first, and I don't have to wait to post it. Let me know what you think.

* * *

"I forgot how awful these boots are." Mary complained as she stood in the elevator.

"They are part of the uniform. You need to wear them until you make 1st." Angeal said, resting his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "No exceptions."

"I know. I got so used to being barefoot that the support and the heel are making me nauseous." She said, swaying slightly. Angeal tightened his grip and pulled Mary closer to him.

"Are you sure it's the boots that are making you nauseous?" Alanna asked. Mary turned and glared at her friend.

"Yes, I am. The padding is forcing my feet in different directions than what I am used to and it is sending a strange signal to my brain. My eyes are seeing the same thing and so together it is giving me a feeling of nausea." She explained.

"Thank you, professor Mary." Alanna said sarcastically.

"You're welcome." Mary replied with even more sarcasm. "And that's not even funny 'Lanna, don't even talk about that." Mary scolded her.

"I was just saying. Now that you two are together, you have to be careful…" Alanna started to explain.

"I am well aware." Mary interrupted her.

"Jeez, don't get cranky with me."She replied quietly. "And I can't wait until we are 1sts. These boots are too flat and unfashionable for me." She added.

"Oh, no. It must be so horrible wearing unfashionable shoes." Mary mocked.

"It is, for those of us who actually care about the way we look, Brute." She retorted. Mary stuck her tongue out at her.

"Well maybe if you weren't so worried about the way you looked, you would actually stand a chance against me in a fight." Mary replied, challenging her friend.

"Oh, so you want a fight. Let's go then." Alanna replied arrogantly, marching out of the elevator as the door opened.

"I guess they'll be training each other today." Angeal commented as they entered the training room.

"Fine by me, gives us a chance to get back into shape." Genesis replied, making his way over to his doppelganger. "How about we join you? You against Mary, and me against Angeal." He offered.

"Sounds like fun; just don't get in my way." Alanna said, as she readied her swords.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Genesis replied, as he turned to face Angeal.

* * *

"You really are a Brute, you know that?" Alanna said, rubbing her sore shoulders. "How many of those swords have you broken?" She added.

"Um, too many to count. And it wasn't my fault this time. Those buster jr's are nothing compared to your rune blades." Mary defended herself.

"Just because your sword isn't magic doesn't mean you have to hit so hard." Alanna mumbled.

"It was either hit hard or lose; and you know I don't like losing." Mary replied with a wide smile.

"Oh, I'm well aware."

"You were close to winning this time. Those swords have really made a difference." Mary said honestly. "I wouldn't be making as much progress if I didn't have to keep improving to keep beating you."

"Thanks, that is so kind of you." Alanna replied with a mock kindness.

"Sorry, that is the best I can do. If you want to win, you are going to have to earn it."Mary said with a shrug.

"Oh I will, you just wait." Alanna said confidently. "You know, I bet you could wield a buster by now."

"I know, but I'd feel bad if I asked to use Angeal's. You know how obsessed he is with his buster. Even as his girlfriend I don't think I could get away with swinging it around for practice."

"Well you need to get something, or all of the buster jrs will be broken within the next few months." Alanna said. Both Alanna and Mary laughed lightly at the thought of all the buster jr's laying on the floor, broken in half.

"What are you laughing about?" Ryu said, as she plopped herself down on the couch.

"Oh, just Brute over here breaking all the buster jrs." Alanna said, gesturing towards Mary.

"You broke another one?" Ryu asked, even though she was not surprised. She had been the one to review the tapes and write a report after Mary had broken all the ones in a VR room, along with a window when she went mommy-mode a month back.

"Maybe, maybe not." Mary said defiantly.

"So, yes you did." Ryu replied. "You know if you keep doing that they will start charging you."

"Whatever. It's not like I don't get paid enough." Mary said, shrugging her shoulders again.

"I think Angeal should just get you a buster already." Ryu said loudly, fully aware that Angeal could hear her from the kitchen.

"Don't hold your breath." Alanna muttered.

"Hey, he's not that bad." Mary defended Angeal. "And besides, I don't need him to buy me things. If I want something, I can buy it myself."

"Yeah, yeah, Miss independent. There is a difference between buying yourself the things that you need, and getting gifts from your significant other." Alanna said.

"And now that you are dating Genesis, you will be getting gifts all the time."Ryu added.

"Yup. Nice, pretty, and expensive gifts." Lanna said with a smile.

"Those are the best kind." Ryu giggled.

"Oh great. I thought you liked the thoughtful, meaningful, or homemade gifts?"Morgan asked, as he entered the room and hopped on the couch behind Ryu.

"I like those too." She said, smiling.

"But now that you have a nice job and make lots of money, you may want to think about buying her something expensive and shiny." Mary teased as she poked Morgan in the side.

"Shiny? I like shiny!" Ryu said excitedly.

"Why would you say that?" Morgan groaned as he put his hands over his face.

* * *

"Did you enjoy the show last night?" Mary asked, as Genesis and Alanna joined the group in the living room. Mary was sitting on the floor crocheting, with Angeal sitting behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist, leaning against the couch.

"It was wonderful, as LOVELESS always is." Alanna replied with a smile. "And the dinner was nice too." She added, leaning into Gen's side.

"Only the best for you." Gen replied, planting a kiss on Alanna's head.

"Aww, you two are so cute." Piper said from the chair she was sitting in with Matti. Alanna tried her best to glare at her, but failed when she saw the adorable puppy eyes Piper was giving her.

"It's true, you are somehow adorable together." Mary added, giggling at the annoyed look on Alanna's face.

"Never mind them, they are just jealous." Genesis whispered in Alanna's ear.

"What would we have to be jealous of?" Mary asked defensively.

"The amazing dates we go on." Alanna retorted.

"Just because you go to fancy restaurants and shows doesn't mean your dates are any better than ours." Mary argued. "I like our dates, they are more intimate."

"It wouldn't kill you to take her out of the apartment for a date Angeal." Gen teased his friend.

"Don't listen to him. I enjoy our dates very much." Mary said, turning to kiss him gently on the cheek. Angeal remained silent, thinking about what was being said. "And you, stop teasing him." She said pointedly to Genesis.

"Oh, but it is so much fun." Gen replied coolly. Mary shook her head and returned to her crocheting.

* * *

"Is everything alright Angeal? You seem distracted today." Sephiroth asked, as he easily defeated Angeal in the VR room. Genesis had put up a good fight as usual, but Angeal didn't seem to be completely there.

"Just thinking about something, I guess." He replied, furrowing his brow.

"Thinking about Mary?" Genesis asked, in an all-knowing tone.

"I was thinking about what you said the other day. I agree that we should have a date away from the apartment. But I'm afraid she will be upset if I take her to a restaurant or a show. She doesn't seem too keen on the idea." Angeal answered honestly. "I just don't know what we could do."

"She likes to make things difficult, doesn't she?" Gen commented.

"You could go for a day trip and do something fun." Sephiroth offered.

"She would probably like that. But what should we do?" He asked.

"Well, she is interested in Chocobo riding. You could take a trip to the farm. Since it is secluded, you would most likely not require a Turk escort, and SOLDIER has a good relationship with the farm. It would be easy enough to rent a few chocobos for the day." Sephiroth said after a minute of thinking.

"How do you know she is interested in Chocobo riding?" Genesis asked curiously. It sounded like a good idea, and something that Mary would like; mainly because it would be something that he would hate, and he knew that Mary was almost the opposite of him.

"Chocobos are similar to an animal she grew up riding. We talked about them the day she observed me on a mission. She mentioned that she would like to see how similar they are to the horses that she was fond of when she was growing up." Sephiroth explained, remembering the conversation they had that day. He smiled to himself, proud that he was able to remember the name of the strange sounding creature.

"I didn't know you two talked so much." Angeal said. He became slightly jealous, remembering that Mary had also talked to Sephiroth about her father. He wanted to know everything about Mary, and he did not like that there were things she had talked to his friends about and not him.

"Only on a few occasions. And she does most of the talking; she has a talent for ranting." Sephiroth replied with a smirk.

"I am well aware." Angeal said, raising an eyebrow. "Though, I prefer her ranting to Gen's constant quoting." He added.

"Hey." Gen said sounding slightly offended.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Mary asked, as she sat down in the helicopter. Angeal had left her a note to meet her on the helipad, but had not told her why.

"It's a surprise." He replied, setting down his bag and sitting down next to Mary.

"Will you at least tell me why we are flying? Is this a mission or what?" She asked, a little annoyed. Mary was a bit of a control freak and was not fond of surprises.

"It is a date, but that is all I'm going to tell you." He said, as he wrapped his arms around her.

"A date? I thought I told you, I like our dates. We don't have to do anything special, I just like being with you."

"You will like it, I promise. It will be just us. And I have it on good authority that this is something that you would enjoy." Angeal said, pulling her close to his side. "Just sit back and enjoy the ride."

"We are in a helicopter, so you know I can't enjoy the ride." Mary pointed out."And who exactly did you go to for advice?" She asked him. She normally would have expected him to go to Ryu, but her friend would usually tell her when something like that happened.

"Sephiroth."

"What? You went to General Oblivious for dating advice?" Mary said, very surprised.

"I did not go to him for advice, but it came up and he gave me some good advice. And what is so wrong with getting advice from Seph?"

"Well, for starters, he's never been on a date. And he is completely oblivious when it comes to dating. I think he may be worse than you."Mary said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why is he oblivious to dating?" Angeal asked. He had been so distracted recently with Mary that he hadn't really been paying much attention to what else was going on within the group.

"Chloe. She likes him, he likes her, and he has no idea." Mary said. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed."

"I've been a little distracted." Angeal said, pulling Mary in for a quick kiss.

"Well it is obvious to everyone else. If he doesn't smarten up soon, I think Ryu and Alanna may do something like what they did to Tseng and Cloud."Mary said, shaking her head.

"You can't really blame him for being oblivious. He didn't grow up the same way as everyone else." Angeal said, defending his close friend.

"I know, but it is hard for us to watch them. You should talk to him about it, try and make him at least realize his own feelings." Mary said.

"That is easier said than done."

"Just try sometime, and get Gen to help you."

"I'll try to remember." Angeal said, turning to look out the window on the door. "It looks like we are almost there."

"Already, we just took off a few minutes ago?"

"We didn't have far to go. We could have driven, but this is faster. I want to be able to spend as much time as possible on our date." Angeal explained.

"So, where are we going again?" Mary asked, hoping that Angeal had been distracted enough to give up the surprise.

"You'll see when we get there." He replied with a smirk.

"You're a brat." Mary replied with a pout.

"I think you are the brat for trying to ruin the surprise." Angeal replied, pulling her close again.

"I don't like surprises. I like knowing what is going on, and I like seeing things for myself." Mary said in a matter-of-fact way. "Did I ever tell you about my house blowing up?" She asked him.

"What?" Angeal asked worriedly.

"I guess not. Don't worry; I wasn't home at the time. No one was, not even the dogs or the cat." She said quickly, trying to ease Angeal's worry. "I was in school; I was in 5th grade at the time. My mom came to pick my brother and I up from school and brought us to our grandmother's house." Mary began her story. "They sat us down and told us that our house had burned down, and we would have to stay there for a few days. They went to leave to go see the house, and told us to stay. I didn't believe them, and so I made them bring me. I honestly thought they were kidding until I saw it for myself." Mary said sadly.

"You really don't trust people, do you?" Angeal asked quietly.

"Not usually. There were many times growing up that trusting other people just led to disaster. I try, but it is hard sometimes." Mary replied honestly.

"So, what happened? Why did your house burn down or blow up?"

"The propane tank tipped over into our basement, and the water heater sparked when it turned on. Propane fumes and fire lead to a lovely explosion. Parts of our house were found up to a few miles away." Mary said easily. She had told the story so many times it was no big deal to her. "Luckily the dogs we had at the time had gotten loose and ran up the road. They could smell the propane and knew something was wrong. And our cat was in the woods, as usual; she was an outdoor cat."

"That sounds horrible. It must have been hard to overcome such a tragedy."

"I guess. It didn't really affect me that much, now that I think about it, I didn't really care. It was definitely a factor in our money problems though."

"You always have a way of being positive, don't you?" Angeal asked her.

"I try not to dwell on negative stuff, unless I have PMS, then I dwell on stuff that makes me angry." Mary replied with a shrug.

"I like talking about these things. I want to know everything about you, Mary." Angeal said, after a few minutes of silence. "There is something I would like to know about, even though Ryu told me not to mention it."

"And what would that be?" Mary asked him.

"Your father. You mentioned him very briefly on your birthday." Angeal started to explain.

"I don't like to talk about it; it usually makes me all shaky and sets me in a horrible mood." Mary interrupted him.

"But you talked to Sephiroth about him." Angeal pointed out.

"I did that to help calm his nerves." Mary said defensively. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, I just don't want to ruin something that is supposed to be fun, like our date. We have been having such a good time; I don't want to ruin it with such negative thoughts."

"You don't have to tell me now; but I do want to know. Promise you will tell me someday soon?" He asked, understanding her reasoning and not wanting to push her too much.

"I promise." Mary said, as she squeezed Angeal's hand. "As long as you share your past too. You hardly ever talk, and I want to know everything about you as well. It's only fair." She bargained, and Angeal nodded in reply. She suddenly lurched forward and hugged Angeal tightly, as the helicopter started its descent to their destination.

"We are here." He said, hoping that he hadn't ruined the good mood they had.

"Good. I was starting to get a little nauseous." Mary admitted.

"I thought you were getting used to the helicopter?" Angeal teased.

* * *

"Chocobos?!" Mary yelled when she exited the helicopter and saw the fields of Chocobos grazing behind wooden fences.

"Seph said that you wanted to try riding sometime. I have rented two for the day. Let's go check in."Angeal said, as he pulled Mary after him. She didn't respond, she was still in shock. She was amazed that Sephiroth had remembered that conversation that they had had many months before.

"Wow, got to give Seph some credit, he isn't completely clueless." Mary said, as she followed Angeal down the aisles of stalls.

"Told you, I had it on _good_ authority. So, what do you think?" He asked her hopefully.

"This is perfect." She replied, pulling him in for a quick kiss.

"I'm glad you think so." Angeal said, stopping and turning at one of the stalls. "This is Joey. I reserved him for you for the day for you. He is one of the most well behaved Chocobos." He said, as the chocobo poked his head out of the stall.

"My aunt had a horse named Joey when I was growing up. I hope you are just as nice as him." Mary said, putting her hand out and hesitantly petting the chocobo's beak. She smiled when he closed his eyes and pushed gently into her hand.

"Is a horse the animal that is similar that Seph was talking about?" Angeal asked her, smiling at how quickly she seemed to connect with Joey.

"Yes, they are similar in temperament and use, but they look different. I was obsessed with them for many years."Mary said, collecting her courage and opening the stall door. "Most girls have a horse phase that lasts a few years, but I never really grew out of it. It was partially because I had aunts who had horses, and I was practically raised on a farm that had a horse. I grew up around them and always enjoyed their company. One of my best friends growing up was the farm horse Greenfire. Whenever I was sad or upset, I could go and talk to her." Mary started ranting as she ran her hands through Joey's feathers. "It sounds stupid, but I always preferred animals to people. I feel like they listen and can understand a little, but they never judge you."

"It doesn't sound stupid. I have heard that animals make the best companions." Angeal replied, as he stood watching her from the stall door.

"And I had many great animal companions growing up. I think I was more upset anytime an animal died than when a person died, to be honest. I know when I lost Milo I cried, and the thought of losing Greenfire used to cause panic attacks when I was younger." Mary said sadly, remembering her horse and realizing she would probably never see her again. Angeal noticed the change in Mary's tone and came up behind her and pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Friends are friends, no matter what they are, and losing them always hurts." He said softly.

"And the longer they are your friends the more it hurts. I think the reason I get more emotional about my animals is that their friendship lasts longer than most that I have with people. I mean, I had Milo for twelve years when he was put down, and Greenfire has been around since before I was born. She has literally been there for me my entire life." Mary said, a tear forming in her eye. "I feel bad that I won't be there for when she finally goes. She was getting pretty old and ragged the last time I saw her."

"There is nothing that you can do about it. And like you said, animals don't judge." Angeal said comfortingly. "The plan was to go riding, are you still up for that?" He asked her cautiously after a minute of silence.

"Of course. It is a beautiful day for riding." She replied, forcing herself to smile and push away the sad thoughts that had made their way into her mind.

"That it is. There is a stable hand outside waiting to help us saddle them." Angeal said, leaving the stable and finding his chocobo.

"I'll see you out there." Mary replied, as she hooked the lead line to Joey's halter and led him down the aisle of the barn. She smiled at the familiar feeling of leading the chocobo outside. She was glad that Joey was well behaved, and had a very similar temperament to the horse named Joey that she had grown up with and learned to ride.

"So, Sephiroth said you know how to ride?" Angeal asked as he walked outside with his own chocobo.

"Yeah, I learned when I was young. I'm sure it is a little different, because the shape of a chocobo is different from a horse and the center of gravity is different, but I should be able to adjust quickly." Mary answered, still petting Joey's neck. "Actually, Joey was the first horse I ever rode, so it is sorta funny that this Joey will be the first chocobo I ride." She added with a light laugh.

"That is quite a coincidence." Angeal agreed. "I wish I could take credit for it, but I chose Joey because of his good attitude. Some of the chocobos are not so nice. The first time I took Zack he got pecked constantly. I think he still has a small hatred of them." Angeal laughed.

"I was afraid of that because they remind me of giant chickens. I got attacked and pecked by a group of chickens when I was younger, so I feared them for many years. I totally understand why Zack wouldn't like them." Mary said in response.

"I can't blame him, but luckily I've yet to have a bad experience with them. Gen hates them though, although I think most of it is the smell." He said, raising his eyebrow at the end. Mary giggled in response.

"Why is that not surprising?" She asked jokingly. "The smell was always one of my favorite things. I wonder if it is similar." Mary said quietly, as she put her face in Joey's neck and took a deep breath in. Angeal gave her a funny look. "Yep, same smell. This day is just awesome."

"You never cease to amaze me." Angeal said, as he turned and mounted his chocobo once it had been saddled.

"Good, and I hope I never do." Mary said, following suit and settling herself on Joey's back. "That's how you keep the fire alive." She added.

"And I would hate to have to sleep in the cold." Angeal replied teasingly. Mary smiled and shook her head. It only took a minute for her to get used to the new position, and she was completely comfortable once they started making their way towards the wooded trail.

"This is nice." She said, looking around the woods and taking in the beauty of the sunlight breaking through the trees. "It's been a while since I've been in the woods like this; at least while not hunting down monsters."

"It can get hectic sometimes, there always seems to be an endless supply of monsters out there." Angeal replied, also enjoying the sunny day and the woods.

"Yeah. But fighting monsters is much more entertaining than sitting through boring lectures and writing essays. It gets busy, but I am glad to be doing it. I would go insane doing something at a desk all the time."Mary said honestly.

"You are very good at desk work, but I can't imagine you doing it all the time. I think you would destroy an office if someone tried to make you sit all day long." Angeal teased.

"I would take offense, but that is exactly what would happen. I don't take well to sitting still." Mary said, shrugging her shoulders. "Though I would make it a little longer than Zack." Angeal laughed out loud at that comment, mainly from the image he got.

"There is a reason he made it through the ranks of SOLDIER so fast, and it was not his skill with paperwork."

"Part of it was that he had an amazing mentor." Mary replied, leaning over and pushing on Angeal's shoulder lightly.

"You just can't keep your hands off me, can you?" Angeal asked teasingly. Mary turned and stuck her tongue out at him.

* * *

"Rude should be here in a half an hour, so you have some time to say goodbye to Joey if you would like. I'm sure you have bonded by now." Angeal said once they were done with their ride and had returned to the stable.

"You know me so well." Mary said, as she led Joey back into his stall.

"That is the goal." Angeal replied, leaning on the stall door. He smiled to himself as he watched Mary pet the chocobo and wrap her arms around its neck. He knew that she was an animal lover, but had never gotten a chance to see her with any, no real ones at least. The excited and happy look she was sporting made his stomach feel odd, but in a good way. He shook his head and forced himself to look away, pretending to check his PHS. He was glad that no one had interrupted the date with unnecessary phone calls or texts.

"I've said goodbye, now I just want to sit outside with you." Mary said, as she wrapped her arms around Angeal from behind and rested her head on his outer arm.

"Sounds like a plan." He said, leading them outside. "Did you enjoy this?" He asked her once they were seated on the grass leaning on a section of fence.

"Of course I did. I couldn't imagine anything better." She replied, turning around to kiss him lightly.

"Better than our first date?"

"Apples and oranges." She replied. "That night will always be special. No matter how amazing any other dates are, nothing could compare to that night." She explained, as she turned back around and leaned into Angeal.

* * *

"We should do this again." Angeal commented as they waited for the helicopter while sitting in the grass.

"How about Saturday? Things are usually pretty quiet, and if nothing is going on we should be able to get the day off." Mary suggested hopefully.

"I actually have plans for Saturday. I'm taking a quick trip to Banora to have lunch with my mother." Angeal replied.

"Oh. Any special reason? Is it her birthday, or do you just miss her?" She asked, a little surprised that this was the first that she was hearing about it.

"It's my birthday actually. I promised her I would make an effort to see her for it every year." Angeal replied, purposefully looking away. He knew Mary would make a big deal about his birthday, and so he had kept it a secret and forced Gen and Seph to do the same.

"What? Your birthday is in three days? Why didn't you tell me?" Mary said a little louder than she should have. One of the nearby chocobos reared and sped away, frightened by the sudden noise.

"I didn't want you to make a big deal about it. We don't celebrate birthdays the same way you all do." Angeal explained, pulling Mary closer in apology.

"You still should have told me. Even if you don't want a big celebration, I at least want to be able to say Happy Birthday." Mary pouted. "Will you be gone the whole day, or can I make you dinner when you get back?" She asked him, still sporting her best attempt at a pout.

"I will be back for dinner, though I don't know how much of an appetite I will have. My mother always makes far too much food, even for me." Angeal replied. "Dinner would be nice, but nothing else. No cake, and no group song." He said sternly.

"Fine, I won't make you a cake; and we won't sing you 'Happy Birthday'. I promise."

"You're already thinking of loopholes aren't you?" He said hesitantly. The last time Mary had made a promise like that she had found a way around it, though he really couldn't complain.

"Now why would you think that?" She asked innocently.

"Even though you are more SOLDIER than Turk, I know you have gained some Turk traits over the last few months. And you hang out with Reno a lot." Angeal replied, poking Mary's sides lightly.

"You jealous?" She teased him.

"Why would I be?"

"Exactly."

"That makes no sense." Angeal pointed out.

"How often do I make sense? You should be used to this by now."

"You'd think." Angeal replied. "I think I need a little more time to get used to it."

"We have all the time in the world." Mary said, pulling Angeal in for one last kiss as she heard the helicopter getting closer to them. "Thank you for such a great date." She said as they stood and made their way to the helicopter landing.

"You're welcome. I look forward to many more like it."

"Me too." She said as she followed Angeal into the helicopter and curled herself around him as they sat down. "I know you said you don't want me to make a big deal, but is there anything you want for your birthday?" She asked him once the helicopter took off.

"Just you." He replied.

"I think I can handle that."Mary said softly.

* * *

"What would be a good gift for Angeal?" Mary asked, as she cornered Genesis in the kitchen the next morning.

"Um, why do you ask?" He replied cautiously.

"I know his birthday is Saturday, you don't have to hide it. He won't tell me what he wants, and I have no idea what to get him; and I don't have time to make something." Mary explained.

"Angeal has never been one for receiving gifts. If he says he doesn't want anything, he really doesn't want anything."

"You are no help. You really can't think of anything?" Mary complained.

"No, I think he has everything that he wants." Gen replied. In all the years he had been friends with Angeal, he had never really given him a gift, and he really didn't know what his friend would want. "So, are you going to Banora with him?" He asked.

"No, I'm going to cook him dinner and we'll have a date when he returns." Mary said with a shrug.

"It doesn't bother you that he didn't invite you?" Gen asked her.

"Why would it? We haven't been together for that long. And I wouldn't want to intrude on his lunch, I know he misses his mother. He'll introduce us when he is ready." She replied casually. "It's not like I'll be able to introduce him to my family anytime soon."

"Good point. Am I free to go now?" Gen asked, as he slowly made his way out of the kitchen.

"Yeah, and thanks for nothing." She said playfully as Gen walked away.

"You're so very welcome." He replied arrogantly.

* * *

"So, you let it slip about your birthday?" Gen asked Angeal when he got to the offices later that day.

"Unfortunately. It just sort of came out. Hopefully she doesn't have enough time to put anything together." Angeal replied, barely looking up from his paperwork.

"She didn't mention anything about a party, so you should be fine. Although she is trying to think of a gift idea."

"I figured she would. Did she seem upset at all?" He asked his friend.

"No, why do you ask?" Gen asked, even though he could guess why Angeal was cautious.

"She knows I'm going to Banora, but I didn't invite her. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that yet." Angeal explained.

"No, she seemed to be alright with it. She seems much less clingy since we returned."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You two were very codependent at Costa. We were all worried that we would never be able to separate you two." He teased his friend.

"Like you are one to talk." Angeal retorted.

"At least Alanna and I did something other than making out the whole time; we played in the volleyball tournament with your puppy." Gen pointed out.

"I guess you are right." Angeal said, smiling at the memory of their week together. "So she seemed alright with it?"

"Yes, she understands. Your relationship is still new; she doesn't seem to see a need to rush anything."

"Good. And if she starts planning something you will stop her, please?" Angeal begged his friend.

"Will do, but you will owe me." Gen bargained. Angeal looked up from his paperwork and glared at his friend.

* * *

"I can't think of anything. Help me, please?" Mary begged Ryu as they sat in a computer room together with Reno. They were supposed to be training Mary on some slightly more complex computer programs, but Mary was having a hard time focusing.

"I could think of a few things I'm sure he would like, yo." Reno interjected.

"NO." Both Mary and Ryu cut him off.

"Fine, don't listen to me." Reno said as he turned back to his own computer.

"I don't know what to tell you. You and I both know boys are harder to give gifts to." Ryu replied, knowing how true it was. "Too bad you can't make anything by then." She added.

"Well, the squares are done, but that is for christmas." She said, trying to say as little as possible so that Reno wouldn't know what she was talking about.

"You could try to draw him a picture or something. I really liked the ones you did for my birthday freshmen year." Ryu suggested.

"It's been so long since I've tried drawing, it would look horrible." Mary said, turning back to the computer and scrolling through the Keepers of Honor page. Ryu and Mary were in charge of monitoring what went on Angeal's fan club page. "That's it!" She said excitedly, as she looked at a picture from Gen's birthday when they went clubbing.

"What's it?" Ryu asked, confused.

"Reno, is there an easy way to bring up all the pictures ShinRa has of Angeal and I?" She asked before explaining her plan.

"Sure, just give a minute, yo." He said as he started typing furiously on his keyboard.

"Ah, I get it. Are you finally going to get into scrapbooking?" Ryu asked.

"I was thinking more of a photo album. Start it with some good pictures of us together, and save the rest for future pictures; since he loves taking photos so much." She answered. "I'll just have to go find an album I think he will like. Do you feel like shopping?"

"I'd be okay with that. Niisan, can I go?" She asked, turning to Reno and tilting her head.

"Fine, go. I'll send you the pictures when they are done, Mary." He said, waving them off.

"Thanks Reno." Mary said as they got up and left the room.

"We should see if Lanna wants to come." Ryu said as they got on the elevator and made their way back to the apartment to get their bags.

"We probably should, shouldn't we?" Mary said, pretending to hate the idea.

"What's that about me?" Alanna said through Ryu's ear mic.

"Mary and I are going shopping for a photo album for 'Geal's birthday. Would you like to join us?" Ryu said. Mary winced, forgetting that 'Lanna had started wearing her ear mic more often, so she couldn't get away with picking on her.

"I didn't know Angeal's birthday was coming up." Alanna said to Ryu. "And sure, I just got done training. Are you going to the apartment first?"

"Well yeah. We'll wait for you there." Ryu said, as the elevator opened.

* * *

"So when is Angeal's birthday?" Alanna asked as they walked around their favorite crafting store, looking for a photo album.

"Saturday." Mary replied, as she continued looking down the aisles for the one she wanted.

"Ouch. He didn't leave you much time. So what are you planning?" Alanna asked her.

"Going to start a photo album with pictures of us. Reno is collecting some now." Mary explained. "I would make him a cake but I promised I wouldn't." She added.

"What is the exact promise that you made?"

"I said that I would not make him a cake, and there would be no group singing." She replied.

"Good, that should be easy enough to work around." Alanna said, as she started thinking of ways around her friend's promise.

"Don't get any crazy ideas, Dumbapple." Ryu warned.

"None of my ideas are crazy." Alanna said, pretending to be hurt.

"No, never." Ryu replied, as they found the aisle they were looking for. "Here we go. So what exactly are the criteria?" She asked Mary.

"Simple, not bright colored, and not shiny. Something he would actually like." Mary replied. "So, pretty much look for something boring." She joked.

"How about this one?" Alanna said, as she found a rustic brown album with a metal buckle.

"Maybe, keep it out, but we should keep looking just in case." Mary replied, as she spotted one that looked interesting. When she pulled it out she smiled widely.

"Looks like you found something better." Ryu said, as she walked over to see what Mary had found.

"It's not too cheesy is it?" Mary asked, as she showed her friends the album she was holding. It was a simple black album, medium sized that didn't seem to have anything special about it. When Mary looked in the lower corner, she found that it had a single white feather that appeared to be floating.

"Maybe a bit, but he won't know the difference. But do NOT tell him why the white feather. I'd rather not go into that right now." Ryu said, thinking of Gaia and what she would do if they told about the wings.

"I know. I'm not stupid." Mary said a little offended.

"You could sure fool me." Alanna said, avoiding a slap from Mary and darting down the aisle.

* * *

"Good morning." Angeal said, as he rolled over and found Mary curled into him.

"Good morning. And Happy Birthday." She said, gently kissing him.

"I'm glad you stayed her last night. I've missed this during the week." He said, pulling her close.

"I know, but if I stayed during the week we would never want to get out of bed." She replied. "But you have to get up soon, your helicopter leaves in an hour." She said, causing Angeal to groan. "You go shower, and I'll get you coffee and something for breakfast." She said, pulling herself away and sitting up.

"You don't have to get me breakfast." Angeal began.

"It's your birthday, and I'm going to bring you breakfast. Now shut up and go take a shower." She said.

"Yes Ma'am." He said teasingly as he got up and made his way to his shower. He turned in time to see Mary stick her tongue out at him, before she got up and left his apartment.

* * *

"Are they done yet?" Zack whined as he bounced around the kitchen.

"No, now stop bouncing. Go play a game or something, you are being annoying." Mary said as she stood in the kitchen stirring the frosting she had just made. "I'll call you when they are done. But they need to cool and be frosted first, so it will be a while." She said, shooing Zack from the kitchen.

"Fine." Zack pouted as he left the room.

"Thanks for the loophole by the way." Mary said to Alanna as she pulled the cupcakes out of the oven.

"Hey, you said cake, these are cupcakes. Totally different." Alanna explained. "And this way we all get one." She added.

"Or two, this is a large batch." Mary pointed out. "Will you guard these for a few minutes, I have to go set up the balcony." Mary said as she pulled the trays out of the oven.

"Sure, but you owe me." Alanna replied.

"Fine, I will kill you last. That counts, right?" Mary said jokingly.

"You are going to make me watch everyone else die before you kill me? That's not nice." She replied, acting like she was shocked.

"Would you rather I killed you first?"

"Why do you guys enjoy talking about killing each other?" Gen asked as he entered the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Alanna.

"It's fun." Alanna said, turning to peck his cheek.

"Don't worry Gen. I won't kill 'Lanna, not any time soon. She's too useful to me." Mary said, sticking out her tongue as she left the kitchen.

"You all have a very strange friend dynamic." He commented to Alanna.

"And you are the silly ones teaching us more ways to kill each other." She said with a scary smile. Gen just shook his head.

"Are those cupcakes?" He asked, finally noticing the trays on the oven.

"Yes, yummy chocolate cupcakes." Alanna replied.

"Angeal is not going to be happy about this." Gen said.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him. One is for him, and the rest are for us, which we can have before he gets back." Alanna replied with a nod of her head.

"You thought it all through didn't you?" He said.

"You don't think the Brute could come up with such a brilliant plan on her own do you?" She asked him.

"I heard that." Mary said, as she walked by the kitchen with the wrapped photo album and her guitar.

"I didn't know she played guitar." He commented after Mary had entered the balcony.

"For about four years now. She doesn't like playing in front of other people though. She isn't as confident with the guitar as with her singing." Alanna explained.

"Is she any good?" Gen asked. He had wanted to write some new songs, but needed someone to work with. Genesis was a musician, had been since he was a teenager, but joining SOLDIER meant that he had to put that dream on the back burner. He had recently had some motivation to pick it back up.

"She learns things quickly, and has a good ear. But she freaks out when performing and messes up. She can get pretty good when she is on a guitar kick and actually practices." Alanna replied.

"Imagine that."Genesis whispered into Alanna's ear.

"Zack, leave them alone." Alanna scolded, easily being able to sense that Zack had begun sneaking back into the kitchen.

"Oh come on." He whined.

"Do you want it frosted or not?" Mary asked when she re-entered the kitchen.

"Frosted. The frosting is the best part." Zack said, thinking that Mary was going to give him one finally.

"Then you have to wait." She said, pushing him back out of the kitchen.

"I think he needs a few more lessons in patience." Gen said.

"Just a few?" Alanna asked him.

"I'm all set now, you can go cuddle with Gen, or whatever, if you want. I'll bring your cupcakes to you when they are done." Mary said, noticing how tightly he was holding her.

"You'll bring me cupcakes, you are awesome." Alanna said childishly, as she poked Genesis so they could get up and leave.

"I am awesome." Mary said, matter-of-factly.

"No you're not dude don't lie." Ryu said as she walked into the kitchen with Morgan in tow.

"Why? Even here?" Morgan said, hiding his face in his hands.

"I told you, you are never going to live that down." Ryu said, referring to a shortly popular song from their world. Morgan had said it once, and now anytime someone called themselves awesome they would quote it. "So, when do we get cupcakes?" She asked, eying the bowl of frosting.

"When they are cool and frosted. There are enough for two per person after I take one for Angeal. Did you remember to get a candle?"

"Yes, I did. I put it on the balcony, along with a lighter. I figured you would be out there tonight." Ryu replied.

"And you figured right. Thanks." Mary replied, checking the cupcakes to see if they were cooled.

* * *

-Come to the balcony when you get back. Dinner is waiting for you.- Angeal read as he sat in the helicopter on his way back to Midgar.

-Just you and dinner, right?- He sent back to her. He enjoyed seeing his mother, but it had already been a long day and he did not want to have to deal with everyone wishing him a Happy Birthday.

-Don't worry, I kept my promise.- She sent back with a smiley face emoticon. She would call him paranoid, but since she did make cupcakes and had gotten him a gift or two, she really couldn't blame him.

* * *

"Happy Birthday!" Mary said, as Angeal walked into the balcony. She was holding a cupcake with a single lit candle on it. Ryu had sent her a message when Angeal's helicopter landed so Mary was able to time lighting the candle. Angeal let out a deep sigh. "Go on, blow out the candle and make a wish." She prodded him.

"I knew you were up to something." He said, after reluctantly blowing out the candle.

"I said nothing about cupcakes." Mary pointed out. "But look, it's just you and me; I kept that end of the bargain."

"That you did." He said, taking the cupcake from Mary and leaning forward to kiss her.

"So, how was your visit with your mother?" Mary asked as they sat down and started eating the dinner she had made.

"It was good. We got to talk about a lot of things. I get so caught up with SOLDIER work that I don't talk as much with her as I should." He replied.

"Did you get any good presents from her?" She asked him, when he didn't seem to have the urge to continue.

"I got a new Iris, and she allowed me to copy one of her pie recipes." He said, breaking into his cupcake.

"Like you need any new pie recipes."

"How do you think I became such a great cook?" He asked her.

"You got it from your mother, I'm assuming."

"Yes, and each year she lets me have another one of her infamous recipes. This one was for a peach pie."

"That sounds yummy. We should try it some time." Mary said, leaning back on her hands once she was finished with her food.

"That would be the plan." Angeal said, finishing his cupcake. "You are the queen of desserts, aren't you?" He asked.

"That's what they used to call me." She said, none so humbly. Angeal shook his head as he crawled over to Mary and pulled her into his lap.

"So what is the plan for the rest of the night?" He asked her, sure that she had something else up her sleeve.

"Presents. You didn't think the cupcake counted, did you?" She teased him. She tried to lean forward to reach for the wrapped package, but Angeal pulled her back into his lap. "I need to get up to get your present." She scolded him.

"It can wait." He said, tightening his grip on her.

"Fine, it is your birthday, so I guess I'll do what you want." Mary said, giving in and leaning into Angeal's chest. They stayed that way for a few minutes, before Mary started fidgeting. One of her gifts was making her nervous, and the more she sat around, the worse her nerves were getting.

"Are you alright? You are fidgeting worse than usual tonight." Angeal asked quietly.

"I'm fine. Can we do presents now?" She begged, Angeal nodded and relaxed his arms so Mary could get up.

"You didn't have to get me anything." He said, as she handed him the wrapped package.

"I know, but I wanted to." She said with a smile. Angeal cautiously tore the paper off the gift, and gave Mary a confused look as he looked down at a black photo album. "Well, open it silly." She said.

"Where did you get these?" Angeal asked, as he flipped through the pages, smiling at the memories of the nights that the pictures were from.

"Some came from the ShinRa database, and the others I got from your desk." She replied shyly. Angeal looked up at her, shocked.

"You went through my desk?" He asked hesitantly.

"No, I opened the drawer that I knew had your camera in it. Don't worry; I didn't go through your things. Although, you did have a lot of photos of me in those piles." She teased.

"I have a lot of photos of everyone." He said defensively.

"I'm just teasing you, chill. I think it's cute." She said, leaning forward and kissing his cheek. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, it is very nice. And there is plenty of space in the back to put more pictures." He said.

"I'm sure it won't take long, but we can always buy another one." She said with a smile.

"Why were you nervous about this?" Angeal asked her curiously.

"That wasn't the part I was nervous about." She said quietly. Angeal tilted his head and gave her a confused look. Mary nodded her head in the direction of her guitar.

"I was wondering where that came from." He said with a quiet laugh.

"I know I said there would be no group singing, but I was hoping you would let me sing a song for you. It's not Happy Birthday, I promise." She said.

"I would enjoy that very much. I knew you had a talent for singing, but I was not aware you could play as well."

"That's cause I'm not as good with the guitar."She replied, as she took a deep breath and stood up to retrieve her guitar. "This is a song from our world, and I think it describes how you make me feel. I wanted to let you know, so, here it is." She said awkwardly as she sat down and placed the guitar on her lap, taking another deep breath.

Angeal smiled as he watched Mary nervously begin the song. He always found it cute and endearing when Mary got nervous, it was something he didn't get to see very often once she got used to being in the SOLDIER program. He sat quietly and enjoyed the beginning of the song. It was a simple melody, and it sounded very nice coming from Mary. His smile grew wider and a blush developed when he listened to the chorus.

_It starts in my toes  
And I crinkle my nose  
Wherever it goes  
I always know  
That you make me smile  
Please stay for a while now  
Just take your time  
Wherever you go_

Mary looked up and giggled before continuing to the next verse, noticing the strong blush that had formed on Angeal's face.

_The rain is falling on my __window__ pane  
But we are hiding in a safer place  
Under covers staying dry and warm  
You give me feelings that I __adore_

They start in my toes  
Make me crinkle my nose  
Wherever it goes  
I always know  
That you make me smile  
Please stay for a while now  
Just take your time  
Wherever you go

But what am I gonna say  
When you make me feel this way?  
I just mmmmm

The song continued as Mary gained her confidence, and ended the song with a strong note and a smile. Angeal returned her smile, and got up to join her when she finished the song. He wrapped his arms around her the best he could, and pulled her close.

"That was lovely." He whispered into her ear.

"So you liked it?" She asked him, as she leaned her guitar on the bench and leaned back into Angeal's embrace.

"Yes, I did. You seem to be pretty good on the guitar to me. How long have you been playing?" He asked her.

"Since my 18th birthday. I would be much better if I actually practiced though. I only play when I hear a particular song I want to learn." She explained.

"Have you ever written any songs?"

"Yes, but they weren't all that good. I don't even remember most of them." She said. The songs she wrote were from when she first learned guitar, and when she was ending high school, so they were very angsty and simple.

"I'm sure they were nice. I would love to hear one." Angeal said encouragingly. Mary turned around to face Angeal.

"There is only one song I remember, and it isn't exactly a happy song." Mary replied. "When I played it for my friends, they asked me to not play it because it was depressing them too much. They liked it, but it has a very negative mood to it."

"What is it about?" Angeal asked, surprised that Mary would write a song that was depressing, because he hardly ever saw her in a less than ideal mood.

"My father." She said quietly.

"Oh." Angeal said, wishing he could shove his foot in his mouth. "Never mind, you don't have to show me if you don't want to. I know it is a hard subject for you." He said, rubbing his hands up and down her back in a comforting manner.

"No, I want to. I just wanted you to know that it is depressing. After that can we go to your room? I won't want to stay out here much longer afterwards." She asked him. She knew that he wanted to know more about her father, and this might be a good way to express her feelings to him.

"Of course. You really don't have to do this though."

"It's okay. But don't say I didn't warn you." She said, as she leaned over and picked up her guitar. "I know I've played this for Ryu and Alanna, but I don't know if the others have heard it. You should feel special." She said before she began.

"You always make me feel special." Angeal said, kissing Mary on the cheek. With that Mary adjusted her capo and started strumming in the low minor that she had written the song in. Immediately the atmosphere got a little dark and sad on the balcony.

_All my life I was without. And no one knew how I felt. Without you there, I was so alone. It made my heart hard as stone._

_ Why weren't you there for me? For everything I wanted you to see. You weren't the person you needed to be. No you weren't there for me. No you weren't there for me._

_ I tried so hard to make you care. But in the end you were never there. All of my life I needed you. I realize now you'll never come through._

_ Why weren't you there for me? For everything I needed you to see. You weren't the person you needed to be. No you weren't there for me. No you weren't there for me._

_ I worked so hard to find myself. And now I am and there is no doubt. If you show up I will kick you out. And you can be the one without._

_ Because you weren't there for me. For everything I needed you to see. You weren't the person you needed to be. No you weren't there for me. No you weren't there for me. No you weren't there for me.  
_

Mary took a deep breath after she ended the song. They sat in silence for a minute, as Angeal tightened his grip again and Mary leaned back into him.

"Thank you." He said softly, breaking the silence. "You ready to go now?" Mary nodded her head as she put down her guitar again. She turned and wrapped her arms around Angeal, letting him carry her back to his room. "Are you okay?" He asked, as he sat them both down on the couch.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, "Did you have a good birthday?" She asked him, trying to push away her negative emotions.

"A very good birthday." He replied.

"It's not over yet." Mary said, turning around to kiss him.

"Ooh, do I get another present?" Angeal asked hopefully. Mary nodded her head in confirmation as she kissed him again.

* * *

Angeal woke up the next morning feeling well rested, but noticed that Mary was not next to him like she usually was. He rolled over and found her sprawled out over the other half of the bed, with the sheets wrapped tightly around her. It looked like she had been rolling around all night long.

"Good morning." He said, moving over beside and shaking her lightly.

"Huh?" She asked confused. She hadn't slept well, and when she didn't sleep she had a hard time waking up.

"Are you alright? You look like you had a rough night." Angeal asked her.

"I'm fine, just restless I guess." She said, as she tried pulling the sheet off herself and found that she was pretty well trapped. "Help?" She asked pathetically when she couldn't get herself free. Angeal pulled her up and held her while unwrapping the sheet from around her, as Mary unraveled it from her legs. "I guess I tossed and turned a lot last night."

"That's new."

"Actually, it's an old habit that must have come back. I think it's a stress response. I used to toss and turn for hours each night before getting to bed. It seems to get worse when I would go home, so I assume it is a stress thing." She said, finally free of the sheet.

"I'm sorry; I didn't want you to get stressed. I just wanted to know more about your past." Angeal apologized.

"Don't be, I chose to play that song. I knew full well how it would affect me." She said, turning to give his a good morning kiss, finally feeling awake. "Shower time?" She asked him, getting up and hopping off the bed. Angeal laughed at her antics and followed suit.

* * *

So, greenfire is still alive and well, I actually went and visited her earlier today before posting this. And being wrapped in the sheet isn't too bad, at least Mary hasn't started sleep walking yet... that's always fun. I'm sure most of you know about the other story that is up, and if you read that, expect some birthday sex later tonight ;)


	14. Chapter 14

Short chapter today, but the next section is longer, and really amusing. May get that up in the next few days, because I don't think anything actually matches up with the main story. For those of you who like Matti, he has some short stories coming up, the next one is utterly hilarious. Let me know what you think!

Ff7 belongs entirely to square enix

* * *

Mary sat silently in a transporter with Matti. They were assigned to do a mission together, just a quick one day thing. Something had happened that morning to piss Mary off, but she knew part of it was not Matti's fault, and he probably did have a somewhat reasonable excuse, so she was trying to keep it to herself and not say anything. She knew it was probably unnerving for him, since she was always the one to keep up conversation, but she was afraid that opening her mouth would allow her bitchy brain to say some very mean things. She looked out the window, trying to clear her mind and get rid of the anger.

"Are you alright? You are being awfully quiet." Matti finally asked her.

"I'm just mad at you." Is all that she said in reply. _Crap, that is not what I meant to say.-_She thought to herself. She had meant to say that she was just cranky and in a bad mood. _Definitely need to keep my mouth shut the-_.

"I'm sorry. My stomach did not agree with me this morning." Matti explained for why he was so late that morning. Mary didn't reply, and Matti suddenly felt like he was in trouble for no reason.

Mary felt a little better, knowing that his excuse was reasonable. One of the reasons why she was so mad, and had managed to work herself into a frenzy that morning, was because she had thought of some excuses, and most of them had just pissed her off. At least now she knew that it wasn't just Matti being lazy.

Matti and Mary had been given their assignment the night before, and they had then discussed when they would meet and when they would leave. Mary had suggested a time earlier in the morning, and much to her surprise, Matti had agreed. Since he had agreed she had assumed that as an adult, he would be there. But while Mary waited for Matti in the garage that morning, she started to doubt how much of an adult he really was.

Mary had waited out in the garage for over 40 minutes. She had been perfectly fine the first twenty minutes, figuring that Matti was just running a little late. After half an hour, she had really started to get annoyed, and that was when her inner monologue had started. While doing some squats to try and relax her nerves, she went through conversations with Matti in her mind, most of them ending up with her yelling. Part of her really wanted to yell at him, but another part realized that it would not be nice. She was pretty close with Matti, they were typically allies. Mary didn't want to ruin the alliance that they had seemed to form, and so she really didn't want to have to yell at him. But as the waiting time neared 40 minutes, Mary continued getting angry, and when Matti finally emerged from the elevator, it took a lot of effort to not yell at him.

Matti walked to the transported and started it, without giving Mary an excuse as to why he was late. It was a good thing, in a way, because if it had been a weak excuse Mary might have slapped him right then. But, it also made her a little mad, because he didn't even apologize for making her stand outside for 40 minutes, but she tried to hide it and loaded her bags into the vehicle. Nothing was said as they both sat in their seats and began their drive.

* * *

When they arrived at their destination, Matti took a turn down a road that Mary was not expecting. "Why did you go this way?" She asked, as it made no sense to her.

"Habit I guess. I didn't think to take that other road." He replied, somewhat glad that she seemed to finally be able to talk to him. He didn't understand why she was giving him the silent treatment, and it was starting to really annoy him.

"Okay. So, I think you can drop me over there, and I can work on my stuff. I'll text you when I'm done and we can figure out what are doing after that." She said, as she unbuckled and got out of the vehicle.

"Sounds good. The front door didn't close." He informed her as she grabbed her stuff from the back.

"Stupid doors, they never close on their own. Angeal yells at me for slamming his doors, but I'm more used to these ones that you have to slam." She said, as she closed the back door and returned to the front to properly close the door. "See you later." She said, as she walked away.

It was an absolutely boring job. Mary had set up some surveillance cameras and was now sitting in a shop monitoring her screen. Nothing was really happening, and it was letting her mind wander, back to what had happened in the morning. She had begun to feel a little less cranky as she set up the cameras, and so she felt she needed to explain and apologize to Matti. Mary pulled out her PHS and sent a longwinded message to Matti.

-Sorry about earlier. I got angry after a while, and most of the anger was just my inner monologue. I'm not really that mad at you, but I'm pretty cranky so I didn't want to yell at you undeservingly. It is just easier to not talk when I'm like this. I figured it wouldn't affect you as much as when Piper ignores you.-

Mary put her phone back into her pocket. She continued monitoring the screen for any changes when she felt her PHS vibrate. She pulled it out and started reading the message. Instantly, her anger started to return. She noted that she had to be getting extremely cranky for this small ordeal to be bothering her so much.

-I don't want to deal with any of it. I was a few minutes late, people make mistakes. You know I'm slow in the morning, and I didn't appreciate being ordered to do something. You are not my girlfriend or my mother. I didn't deserve the silent treatment.-

Mary took a deep breath and tried to let her anger go, but it didn't work. She started tapping her fingers on the table she was sitting at, and she was sure she was sporting an extremely pissed off face. She desperately wished that she could call Angeal and vent, but he was on mission. She started to think of who she could vent to, but quickly realized that everyone was busy, and that was why Matti had been the one to drop her for her day mission. Mary practically growled as she turned her attention back to the screen.

* * *

"Matti and Mary appear to be having some sort of fight." CAGS reported to Ryu.

"I don't care; they are not my problem today." Ryu hissed at her AI before she ducked a punch that was thrown her way.

"Would you like me to monitor them more closely?" CAGS asked, even though Ryu had said she did not care. CAGS had become very accustomed to reading into what Ryu was feeling instead of what she said.

"Fine. Alert me if one of them actually snaps." Ryu muttered.

* * *

"What?!" Mary snapped as she picked up her phone.

"Mary…" She heard on the other end of the line.

"Sorry Director. Is there something you need?" She said. Though she was saying more polite words, the harshness was still in her tone.

"Just checking in. Is something wrong, you seem stressed?" Tseng answered.

"Everything is going according to plan. Though, I would love to punch Matti in the face."

"Mary…" Tseng warned again.

"Don't worry, Director. Even if I want to, I never actually would. If there is nothing else you want, I would like to go back to work now."  
"I will not keep you any longer." Tseng replied as he closed his PHS. Mary took a deep breath before returning to her screen.

* * *

Two hours later, and Mary was even angrier than before, and more bored as well. The mission was turning out to be uneventful, and Mary decided to shift her attention to try and think of someone she could talk to, to try and vent her anger. She was sure if she just talked it out with someone that it would help, but she was pretty sure talking it out with Matti would end in screaming, so she wanted to avoid that. She knew most of her anger was still because she was cranky, though some was directly caused by him. She quickly pulled out her PHS when she realized who she could call.

"Yo, what's up Mary?" She heard when the call went through. Mary smiled at the abrupt voice on the other end. It was one that was sometimes annoying, but it managed to calm her in the current circumstance.

"Hey Reno, not so good actually." Mary began. "I'm really upset and need someone to vent to, if that's okay."

"No problem. Just got back from my mission. What's up?" Reno asked. "Tired of waiting around for your _lover_." He teased. "When does he get back anyways?"

Mary sighed. Reno was the perfect person to talk to for this. He had a surprisingly wise point of view, he was a great listener, and Mary knew that he would be neutral. She had worried about talking to her friends behind Matti's back; for fear that they would turn around and tell him. She knew that Reno wouldn't do that. Mary had become surprisingly close friends with Reno since their incident after Elena's death. Mary always found it easy to talk to him; she knew he wouldn't judge her. They also shared a very perverted sense of humor.

"They are supposed to return tomorrow night, but you never really know." Mary replied solemnly. One of the reasons why she was so cranky was because Angeal had been gone for more than a week, and she had been having a hard time sleeping. She really missed having her personal heater wrap his arms around her while she slept. She missed other things as well, but that was the one that was affecting her the most.

"So what's up, yo? You sound pretty pissed." Reno replied, wondering exactly what could have set her off.

"A little incident happened with Matti this morning, when he was supposed to transport me to my mission. It wasn't really a big deal, but I got a little angry, and through the day I've just gotten angrier, so now I just need to vent to someone." Mary replied. She took a deep breath before continuing. "We decided a time to leave last night, and I waited for him at that time this morning. He was about forty minutes late, and in that time I had an inner monologue going and I got mad at him. I knew some of it was crankiness so I tried not to yell at him. That resulted in a silent car ride, and when he asked what was wrong I told him I was mad at him. He didn't take it so well. He apologized and gave his excuse, and all seemed fine."

"So what's the problem, why are you still so mad?" Reno asked.

"I sent him an apology afterwards trying to explain that the mad was more me than him. He got all pissy with me and gave a bunch of lame excuses that are total crap. I was trying to explain and be nice, but he poked my nerves. Now I just keep going over it again, and again. It is driving me nuts. I'm definitely cranky because I feel like slapping him, or maybe breaking a bone or two." Mary said, her tone revealing how worked up she was currently getting.

"And what were these lame excuses?" Reno said. He figured that Mary would really need to get it all out, or she would continue to think about it and get angrier.

"First he said he was only a few minutes late and people make mistakes. A few minutes late is fine, forty is really pushing human error. He also said that I ordered him to be there when it was early and he isn't a morning person. Crap, total crap. I asked him, and he agreed to the time. If he didn't think he could handle the early time, he could have said something. And he said I'm not his mother. I'm not treating him like a child, I expect him to be an adult and be where he agrees to be. And he is mad at me for giving him the silent treatment. It's not like I was rude, I answered him if he asked me a question, and I thanked him for the ride. I just didn't talk his ear off like I usually do. Shouldn't he just enjoy the one ride of silence, you'd think he'd be sick of my voice by now…" Mary started to trail off. She was already starting to feel better. "I'm just upset that I was trying to be kind and explain that I'm cranky and trying not to be mean. And he just got upset with me. Really, I am allowed to be a little cranky sometimes, and I don't have to talk all the time. I was trying to spare him my bitchy response. It feels like he wants me to bitch him out."

"I highly doubt that, yo. You can be very unsettling when you are bitchy. He is probably just defensive 'cause he doesn't see that he did something wrong. You should try to explain your side to him." Reno suggested. "And since when does Matti take orders from you? If that's the case, maybe you should let Tseng know he is becoming a pushover." Reno joked.

"I know, right. The thing is right now the inner bitch wants to scream at him, that's why I was being quiet. Plus, he doesn't do well with seeing others points of view. I know that he had a good reason for being late, but at the time I didn't. And that was why at the time I was mad at him. I told him that and he still got all pissed at me. I don't think further explanation is going to help any."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Hope that he doesn't push it, and try to avoid him until the inner bitch goes away." Mary answered. "Thanks Reno, for listening. I feel much better now. It looks like something might be happening; I have to go back to work. Bye." She said, as she closed her PHS. She thought it was a little rude, but she was a Turk on a mission, she didn't have much time for politeness. Reno shrugged as he closed his phone turned back to the stack of boring paperwork on his desk.

* * *

Mary watched the screen as the target came into view. She followed his movements through the multiple cameras, meanwhile typing notes that were being sent to Matti's AI. She really hoped that he had been just as miserably bored as she had been the past few hours. Mary watched as Matti followed the target, waited until he could easily get what he wanted, and then disposed of the man. When Matti was done, Mary sent him a message that she would meet him in an hour at the drop off point. It would give her enough time to pack up her stuff and retrieve the cameras without raising suspicions. When everything was finished, she met Matti where he had dropped her off, and loaded her bags into the vehicle.

"Body all taken care of?" She asked, as she sat herself in the passenger seat.

"Yup. We can go back to ShinRa now." He replied. The ride back was just as silent as the way there, but this time Matti did not try to break the silence. He was also a little peeved at Mary, and he didn't feel as though he deserved the silent treatment that he had gotten earlier. He turned on the radio and cranked it to fill the silence.

When they returned to the office, Mary returned the cameras to their place and picked up her part of the paperwork to fill out. She didn't say anything as Matti passed her and went to Tseng's office to report. She worked quickly to finish her own work before Matti could return. She wanted very badly to just be in her own room, or maybe Angeal's, and away from the drama. She had started to feel better after talking to Reno, but the car ride had made things very awkward.

Mary made her way into the apartment, and made her way to the kitchen to grab food. She hadn't eaten all day, and she felt like she was starving. After making herself a late lunch, she sat in the living room to eat. She had forgotten that she wanted to avoid Matti. Unfortunately for her, Matti walked through the door right when she had finished eating, and she didn't have time to bolt. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Alright, now that we aren't on mission, what the hell is your problem?" Matti asked angrily. "I was a few minutes late, it happens."

"First off, since when does forty count as a few? Second, I am really not that mad about that. I was, but once you told me why I calmed down. I'm still pissed because you shit on my apology. And the excuses you gave then are total bullshit." Mary shot back at him. She was now in bitch mode, and she could no longer control it.

"Excuse me? Exactly what about what I said was bullshit?" Matti said defensively.

"Well, let's see. I did ask you, I did not order you. You agreed to it, I didn't force anything on you. Unless, you know, you've become a total fucking pushover. And things happen, but I assume that as an adult you can manage to get somewhere that you say you are going to be in a reasonable amount of time. I bet if you made Tseng wait for forty minutes, he would shoot you for your tardiness. And seriously, what is so bad about me not talking your fucking ear off for twenty minutes? That should be a blessing to you." Mary almost yelled at him.

"I did not appreciate the silent treatment. You were being unnecessarily rude. I was not deserving of that. I was late because I was having stomach issues." He defended himself. He was not going to back down, not after thinking about it for a few hours.

"Alright, seriously, I barely gave you the silent treatment. If I had, I wouldn't have talked to you at all. So stop being a baby. And I was angry about you being late until you told me the stomach thing. The reason I was angry for so long was because you never told me why you were late when you showed up. You didn't even apologize. You just acted like it was no big fucking deal that you were forty minutes late. I skipped my run to meet you at the time we agreed!" Mary screamed, she was not going to let Matti win. The bitch had come out, and she was not going to back down to save someone's feelings.

"I didn't think I had to apologize. It wasn't a big deal. So, you had to wait for forty minutes. We sat around for hours today waiting for that mission, what's the difference?" Matti asked. Before Mary could answer, the door opened and Angeal walked in, with Zack and Genesis a few steps behind him. Without saying anything, Matti took a step back to get out of Angeal's way.

Mary opened her mouth to answer Matti when she felt strong arms turn her around and throw her over a shoulder. "Hey! Put me down!" Mary yelled, as she was walked out of the living room. Angeal didn't care that she was in the middle of an argument. He had gone without seeing her for a week, and he couldn't wait any longer. He didn't expect it to be so hard, but he had a very difficult time focusing while away from Mary. He had also become easily agitated, and had yelled at Zack a few times. "This doesn't mean you win!" Mary screamed down the hallway, as Angeal opened his door and walked them both into his room.

Angeal gently pulled Mary off of his shoulder, and pushed her lightly against the way of his room. "I missed you." He said, as she cupped her face in his hands and brought them together for a demanding kiss. When they finally separated, Mary smiled widely and flung her arms around Angeal neck.

"I missed you too." She said, as she went in for another kiss.

* * *

An hour later, Mary and Angeal returned to the living room, freshly showered and changed. They sat on the couch, and Mary curled up into Angeal's lap. By that time, most of their small group had returned from their missions, and were sitting in their usual places in the room.

"Did you solve your crankiness problem, yo?" Reno asked from the other end of the couch.

"Yup. And you still didn't win Matti." Mary said, as she wrapped her arms around Angeal's waist.

"I still don't even know why we were arguing." Matti muttered. Piper poked him hard in the side, not wanting another fight to ensue. "What was that for?" He asked.

* * *

This is why I hate being a girl…every once in a while my inner bitch won't shut the fuck up and this type of drama ensues… For anyone who also reads the lemon story, there will be a story for what happens in Angeal's room posted later tonight.


	15. Chapter 15

Really fun chapter today, a few short stories that I think you guys will appreciate. This may be the second to last Side Story chapter for the Pawns! This chapter doesn't line up with the story, so I don't have to wait to post, but I can't post the last one until the last chapters are posted for the main story. I may post really short chapters to go with the main story chapters the day they go up, so look out for those (I'm bugging Lanna as much as I can!) There will also be a lemon story associated with this chapter, if you read those….

FF7 belongs entirely to square enix (if I forgot to put this on other chapters I'm sorry! Please don't sue me!)

* * *

"Yo, Reno. Where the hell are you?" Mary said, waiting with Angeal outside of Bone Village. They had been dropped off earlier that morning, and their mission had taken all day. Reno was supposed to be flying them, and Mary called Reno when they were done, but it had been longer than it should have been by an hour, and Mary was starting to get impatient.

"I'm on my way; I'll be there in a few minutes. I got distracted. Just a warning, I think we broke Matti." Reno replied through his headset.

"And exactly how did you break Matti?" Mary asked cautiously.

"We got him drunk. He made himself a few drinks, and then Alanna and I made him a few drinks, and he just kept going. It is really funny, yo." He replied, almost proud of himself. He had dragged the two new Turks drinking before, but had never managed to get them to drink much.

"Oh this I have to see. The most I've seen is him a little tipsy, and that was still a little funny." Mary said. Angeal turned to her and gave her a confused look. "We'll see you when you get here." She said before hanging up on Reno. She turned to Angeal to explain. "Apparently they broke Matti, they say they got him drunk. So I don't know what we are going home to." She explained.

"Oh wonderful. I assume you are going to want to join them when we get back?" Angeal asked.

"Well yeah, but I won't drink that much, just enough to enjoy it. I like feeling fuzzy and tipsy." She said with a smile.

"I know you do. As long as I don't have to hold your hair back as you vomit. It is not fun, and I don't want to have to see you go through that." He said.

"Oh trust me, I hate throwing up just as much as you would hate watching me throw up. I can put them away fast but in total I never really drink that much." She pointed out.

"I know. So how long until Reno gets here?"

"Sounds like about two minutes." Mary said, as the sounds of the helicopter could be faintly heard in the distance.

* * *

"So exactly how much did you give Matti?" Mary asked, as she stood with Reno and Angeal in the elevator.

"He had three rum and cokes, a mind eraser, and two other vodka and rum mixed drinks. And maybe a beer or two." Reno listed off.

"Well this should be fun." Mary said, as she braced herself for what she was about to walk into.

"GET THE FUCK OUT!" She heard Matti yell at Reno as they walked into the living room. Mary burst out in laughter when Matti's outburst was followed but a crazy giggle that Mary would have _never _expected to come out of Matti's mouth. "SHUT UP!" He screamed again, as he leaned forward and promptly fell off the couch, causing everyone who was around to start laughing again. This set off a chain of Matti yelling, giggling, yelling and falling over.

"Oh my goddess. I really underestimated you Reno. This is not at all what I was expecting." Mary managed to get herself to stop laughing long enough to say.

"He has been like this for two hours now. It is hilarious." Alanna said from the other end of the couch. Genesis nodded his head in agreement. Mary shook her head and made her way to her room to drop her bag and change out of her uniform.

"Shut up!" Matti yelled again as Mary re-entered the room, and then giggled, causing Mary to curl over with laughter again.

"We have found out that drunk Matti has multiple personalities." Alanna said, trying to not laugh at Matti again, her stomach was starting to hurt. "There is an autistic child, a hilarious joker, and douche-bag Matti."

"Yeah, drunk Matti is an asshole." Matti agreed, nodding his head and laughing hysterically. Mary did her best to not break out into another fit of laughter.

"What are you talking about, sober Matti is an asshole. We are kinda used to it." Mary pointed out.

"Oh, but drunk Matti is so much worse. Please don't judge me on drunk Matti." Matti begged. Mary rolled her eyes and joined Angeal on a loveseat.

"We won't judge you anymore when you are a drunk asshole than you do when we are in bitchy PMS mode." She bargained.

"Nooo." Matti whined, shaking his head.

"Oh, you actually judge us when we are in PMS mode?"

"Maybe a little." Matti said, bringing his fingers up to show the small amount, and then finding his fingers highly entertaining he broke out into giggles again. "I want another drink."

"I don't think you need another drink." Mary said, trying to be more responsible than the others.

"I'm fine, I got this." He said, making his way to standing to go get himself another drink.

"Sit down, I'll make one for you." Alanna said, as she stood and made her way to the kitchen. "Anyone else want something?"

"I'll take a rum drink, I don't know if I can handle much more drunk Matti while being sober." Mary replied. Angeal gave her a stern look. "What? It's just one drink."

"I didn't say anything. I'm going to go get a beer. Though he is amusing now, I have a feeling he may get annoying soon." Angeal said, as he made his way to stand up.

"Anyone want a mind eraser?" Reno offered, as he made his way to the kitchen to make a drink for himself.

"Not after seeing what it did to Matti." Mary replied.

"Come on, I'm hilarious when I'm drunk." Matti said, as he leaned back and forth on the couch.

"Yes you are. Why is my exercise ball in the living room?" She asked when she finally noticed the red ball in the middle of the floor.

"Matti remembered that you had one and that they are highly amusing, so he took it from your room. He still doesn't have the balance to sit on it for long though." Alanna replied, as she re entered the living room with the drinks, handing one to Mary and the other to Matti, as she went back to the kitchen to get the wine for Genesis and herself.

"Hey, I'm drunk, you can't expect me to have balance." Matti defended himself.

"You never have balance Matti. You'd think Tseng would have trained that into you by now." Mary replied.

"You know what, Fuck off." Matti said, as he gave Mary the finger while starting to drink again. Mary rolled her eyes again.

"So where are the other three?" She asked, realizing that her friends were missing.

"Piper was on a mission, Ryu had to go pick her up. Morgan went with her; he doesn't seem to be as amused with Matti as we are. I think he is worried we are going to get him drunk too." Alanna replied.

"That guy is a real stick in the mud, yo." Reno said, throwing back his drink. "It takes all night to get him to drink anything."

"Yeah, but at least he has lightened up on Ryu and lets her drink when she wants to now." Alanna chimed in.

"So Piper has no idea that he is like this?" Mary asked.

"I'm sure Ryu will tell her, but I doubt she'll believe her. It will be a fun surprise when she gets back."Alanna said with a shrug.

"It definitely surprised me. Matti, be careful, you are going to spill on the couch." Mary scolded him, as she looked over and saw his cup leaning at a dangerous angle.

"Shut up! I got this." He said, taking another drink."I gotta take a piss." He said, as he put his cup down on the table and got up, teetering a little.

"Do you need help?" Mary asked, uncertain if he could make it all the way to his bathroom.

"I got this. I've done it two other times." He said proudly. He stumbled and had to hold onto the wall, and started giggling again.

"Just don't make a mess. I don't think Piper would appreciate piss all over the floor." Mary pointed out.

"Fuck off." Matti said again as he continued to slowly make his way to the bathroom.

"He is really found of that isn't he?" Genesis stated, though he found the whole situation extremely amusing.

"He seems to really like Shut Up, Fuck You, and I got this. If it wasn't so funny it might be annoying already." Alanna replied. "What did you do?" Alanna shouted to Matti, as they all heard crashing coming from his bathroom. "You better hope you aren't hurt, because none of us are going to come help you." She yelled to him when he didn't respond.

"I'll go check on him; I have to get something out of 'Geal's room." Mary said as she got up.

"What?" Angeal asked her as she started to leave the room.

"The wine you have in your cabinet." She replied.

"I thought she didn't like wine?" Gen asked once she had left the room.

"She seems to like the sweet and fruity wines; it is the bitter wines that she dislikes." Angeal replied.

"So she doesn't like real wine." Gen said, shaking his head, though he was not at all surprised.

"No, she pretty much likes juice." Alanna said to him.

As Mary walked by Matti's room, she could hear him still giggling manically. "Is your penis really that funny?" She teased him as she walked by.

"SHUT UP!" He yelled at her, but then went back to his giggling. Mary laughed and continued to Angeal's room.

"Um, that is not a wine glass." Genesis said when Mary returned with two large water goblets and the bottle of fruity wine she had stashed in Angeal's room.

"I know, and I don't care."Mary replied, sticking her tongue out at Genesis as she set the glasses down and filled them both, handing one to Angeal.

"Leave the lush alone, she likes her fruity wine. Maybe this way her glass will last more than two minutes." Alanna said, reaching for her own wine glass which was almost empty.

Mary was about to reply when Matti came stumbling down the hallway, and proceeded to try jumping over the couch, resulting in him rolling off the couch and onto the floor. "Why is the room spinning?" He asked as he tried to sit himself up. "I don't feel so good anymore."

"I told you; you didn't need another drink." Mary said.

"Shut up! Oh I think I'm going to throw up." Matti said, clutching both his head and his stomach.

"Sit up on the couch; I'll go get you a glass of water." Mary said as she got up and made her way to the kitchen.

"I don't want water." Matti whined, as he tried to sit himself up and get onto the couch, but failed. "I got this." He said, before anyone was able to offer him help. He tried again and fell over, landing on Angeal's leg as Angeal stood beside him ready to help him get on the couch.

"Relax. I'll help you up in a minute, as long as you don't puke on me." Angeal said. After a couple of seconds, Matti took a deep breath and nodded his head for Angeal to pick him up.

"Slowly. Oh my god, not that fast, I'm gonna hurl." Matti said loudly as Angeal slowly lifted him.

"I can't go much slower." Angeal replied, stopping where he was, holding Matti a few inches off the floor.

"Okay, I'm good. Slowly." He said, as Angeal finished picking him up and placed him on the couch, leaning him back against the cushions to balance him. "See, I told you I was fine." Matti said once he had regained his balance a bit.

"Liar, here, drink this." Mary said, handing Matti a cup of water with a straw in it.

"I don't need that. Straws are for pussies." He said, pushing away the glass. "I'm not thirsty."

"You will be soon." Alanna pointed out.

"If I drink any I will throw up." Matti replied. Reno got up and went to the kitchen for a trash bag, opening it and placing it in front of Matti.

"Just in case, yo." He said, before plopping back in his spot. Mary looked over and decided she would rather not pick up vomit later, and the way Matti was swaying told her he was probably past the point of no return already. She got up and went to her room, retrieving her small plastic trash can. When she returned she grabbed the bag and placed it in the can and handed it to Matti.

"Thanks." Matti managed to say, before he started playing with the bag that seemed to be so very interesting to him. The group sat quietly for a few minutes, watching Matti play with the trash bag and plastic can with a childish interest. They were all just waiting to see what he would do, or say.

"Stop biting it." Mary scolded him, looking over and seeing the trash can in his mouth.

"Shut up." He replied, as he went back to biting it.

"I think that is his new catch phrase, yo." Reno laughed.

"Haha, I'm fisting your trash can." Matti said as he pulled his arm out of the trash can and put it back in.

"You did NOT just say that…" Mary said, face-palming and trying to turn off her thought process.

"It doesn't matter what I say, I won't remember tomorrow." Matti replied with a giggle.

"You won't remember, but unfortunately we will." Mary complained. She wasn't able to get another word in before Matti finally burst, vomiting into the trash can, causing everyone to leave the room.

"Yup, still don't like that sound." Lanna said, covering her mouth and trying to ignore the noises Matti was making.

"I can usually stand it but that is very liquidy vomit." Mary replied, barely controlling her gag reflex.

"Better or worse than mine that one time I got drunk?" Alanna asked her.

"Much worse. You weren't all that loud, and I'm pretty sure he is throwing up much more than you did."

"That was a horrible night." Alanna commented. "He is not gonna want to drink for at least a week, if not a month." She added, as they all stood in the kitchen, waiting for Matti to be finished. When he was done they grabbed a few paper towels and brought them out to him.

"I need a… thing… to wipe my face." Matti stuttered as he motioned to his face.

"There's some right in front of you, yo." Reno said, pointing to where they had put them down.

"Thanks." Matti said, grabbing them and wiping his mouth. "Water?"

"On the table, there is even a straw in it." Alanna said when she was finally able to come back into the room. Matti leaned back with the cup, making a pathetic noise, as Reno took the trash can and disposed of the vomit filled bag. He replaced it and gave it back.

"Wow, never thought I'd see Reno on puke patrol." Mary teased.

"Hey, it's my fault, so I thought that I'd be nice and take care of it."

"Shut up." Matti said around the straw in his mouth.

"I wonder what is taking the others so long, I should see if they are still alive." Mary said, as she pulled out her PHS and sent a text to Ryu and Piper.

-**You still alive? You've been gone a while. You were lucky enough to miss Matti finally losing it and puking.-** Mary sent them.

_-_**Is he okay? We will be back soon. Puppy**_.- _

_ -_**Yeah, he seems fine now that he has let it out.**_-_ Mary replied, as she laughed a little.

"Ahh, Piper is worried about you." Mary said when she put her PHS away.

"What, you didn't tell her did you?" Matti said, sounding very worried and somewhat like a child who didn't want to get into trouble. "Nooo… please don't tell her." He begged.

"Too late." Mary replied, trying to hide her amusement.

"No its not. It's not too late." Matti said, sounding thoroughly pathetic. Mary just shook her head and made her way back over to Angeal, who was sitting in a loveseat covering his face with his hand. It was only a few minutes before Matti was starting to feel better, and returned to his childish drunk personality, as he started moving around the couch and leaning on the back, almost falling over.

"HI!" They all heard a childish voice say as Piper, Ryu and Morgan entered the apartment, dropping their bags by the entrance. "So I hear you are a little drunk." Piper said, as she made her way to Matti and wrapped her arms around him.

"A little." Matti said, as he gestured with his fingers and giggled, finding his own fingers hilarious. "I'm hilarious when I'm drunk." He said, sounding very proud of himself.

"Yes, you are. You are also an ass." Mary chimed in.

"That and an autistic child, and the joker. He has multiple personalities when he is drunk. Give it a minute and you will probably meet all of them." Alanna told Piper.

"I think I'm going to need a few beers just to deal with you." Piper said to Matti, as she got off the couch and made her way to the kitchen.

"That sounds like a good idea." Angeal said, as he got up for another beer. He didn't mind the wine, but Mary drank most of it, and he knew that he needed at least one more beer if he was going to be able to deal with her tipsy antics. Mary pouted when Angeal left, and got up and plopped down next to Reno.

"Hello, friend." She said, putting her arm over his shoulder and leaning on him.

"You better not get me in trouble, yo." Reno said, trying to push Mary away.

"Don't worry, Angeal isn't jealous of you."

"The look on his face leads me to disagree." Alanna said, as Angeal glared at them when he sat back down in his seat. Seeing that Angeal had returned, Mary pushed off of Reno and flew across the room, landing on Angeal.

"Oomph." Angeal made a funny noise as Mary barreled into him. "Was that necessary?" He asked her.

"Since when do I do things because they are necessary?" Mary asked him with a childish tone. Angeal shook his head, praying for the patience to deal with the people around him.

The group sat around for a while, still finding amusement in Matti, as he was still drunk and acting like it, and also finding Piper to be really funny. She put away a few beers in less than an hour, which was practically a record, since she usually would drink half a beer and then leave it in the living room for someone else to pick up the next day. Mary cuddled with Angeal, Ryu and Morgan sat quietly in their corner watching everyone else while Ryu enjoyed her beer, and Alanna sat with Gen's arms wrapped around her, upset that she had finished her wine already.

When Sephiroth finally returned to the apartment, he stood at the door in utter confusion. The group was more rowdy than usual, and there were multiple people missing. Usually if they were going to drink they would wait until everyone was around.

"Exactly what is going on here?" He asked Morgan, as he seemed to be the only sober one.

"Reno got Matti drunk, and everyone else has been slowly catching up to him." Morgan said with a shrug.

"And where is everyone else?"

"Cloud is with Tseng, most likely at his apartment. Rude and Chloe are on a mission with Zack. Vincent is most likely hiding in his apartment as usual." Ryu replied, as she moved herself to hang upside down on the couch.

"Be careful." Morgan warned her, not wanting her to fall off and hit her head, or pass out from the blood rushing to her head.

"I'll be careful; don't be such a worry wart." Ryu replied childishly.

"Did I miss dinner?" Seph asked, turning to Angeal.

"We didn't do dinner tonight. There are leftovers in the fridge, or we can order something." He replied, nuzzling into Mary's neck. Seph shook his head and walked away. He was happy that his friends were in relationships, but the PDA was a bit annoying to him.

When Sephiroth left the room, Mary leaned over and poked Ryu. "Do you think if we got Sephy drunk he would make a move on Chloe?" She asked her friend, knowing that she would love a chance to meddle again.

"Maybe, it would be worth a shot." Ryu whispered back. She then turned and threw a pillow at Reno.

"What was that for?" Reno asked her jokingly.

"You should make some drinks for Sephy." She said.

"Why?"

"Just do it, please?" Ryu begged him.

"Alright, but you can't blame me if I get him drunk." He bargained.

"We won't." The girls chorused. Reno glared at them, wondering what they were up to, but decided to leave it alone and got up to make more drinks. "Make it really strong." Ryu added as he walked away.

Sephiroth entered the room with a confused look on his face, as he cautiously sat down with the shot glass that Reno had handed to him. "Just throw it back." Alanna told him. Sephiroth did as he was told and made a funny face.

"Here ya go. This will taste better, yo." Reno said, as he put a drink down on the table and took the shot glass from Seph.

"Can I have another one?" Matti asked in a childish voice.

"NO." Everyone else in the room replied. Though they were enjoying drunk Matti, no one wanted to have to sit through him throwing up again that night.

"Aw, you are no fun." He said, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting.

"You are already going to have a massive hangover as it is." Mary pointed out.

"And we will probably be feeling it as well. So you better be drinking plenty of water and taking something before you go to bed." Alanna warned him, though he did not hear them, because he had started tickling Piper, who was giggling uncontrollably and thrashing on his lap. Just as she was finally able to get him to stop, the door opened as Zack made his way into the apartment. He didn't have time to react as he looked up and saw Piper racing towards him, her pupils very dilated and a crazy hyper look on her face. As she puppy pounced him, they both ended up on the floor. Rude and Chloe stood in the doorway, glad that they had been a few steps behind so they didn't get run into.

"Hi." Piper said in her childish voice that was almost creepy.

"Hey Piper puppy. Why are you all hyped up?"

"Matti was drunk when I came home, so I had to start drinking to be able to handle him." She explained, mostly coherently.

'Well that explains it. Are you going to get up or do we have to go around you?" Chloe teased. Piper promptly got off Zack and hurried back over to Matti, where she was pulled back into his lap.

"If everyone else is drinking, I guess I should too." Zack said happily.

"No Zack. You have a mission tomorrow morning, remember?" Angeal said sternly, even though he would also be on the mission and he was drinking.

"Please? One, just one?" Zack begged, using his best puppy eyes.

"Fine, just one." Angeal conceded, he was far too gone to argue with the puppy.

"Alright!" Zack said, as he pumped his fist in the air and made his way to the kitchen. "Where is chocobo?" He asked when he returned.

"With Tseng. Which is probably good for Matti. He would probably kick your ass if he saw you like this bossman." Ryu replied to Zack and then teased Matti.

"Shut up." Matti yelled again. "I think I gotta go again." He said as he stood up.

"You gonna make it bossman?" Ryu asked, as Matti swayed a little as he stood.

"I got this. Haha, that's my new catchphrase." He said, making his way to the bathroom.

"Sure you do." Piper said with a laugh.

"Hey. I'll have you know I've done it free times." Matti slurred back.

"And he is just so proud of himself for it." Alanna said condescendingly.

"Shut up!" Matti yelled from the bathroom. When he returned, he sat and pulled Piper back into his lap. "I think it's time for bed." He said sleepily.

"Take these first." Ryu said, handing him a pill bottle. Matti struggled for a few seconds before Ryu took pity on his and opened it. Before she was able to pull a pill out to hand to Matti, Piper reached up and knocked the whole bottle over on top of them. "Puppy." Ryu scolded.

"What?" Piper said, too tipsy to realize what she did. She then laughed when she looked down and saw all the pills on Matti's shirt and started scooping them up and handing them to Ryu. "Sorry." She said in a cute voice.

"Just make sure he takes one of these before bed, and one tomorrow morning." Ryu said, patting her on the head. "Now off you go."

That was easier said than done, as it would usually take Matti a few minutes to move Piper sober, it took him almost half an hour while he was still drunk. They eventually made it back to their room safely.

"How do you not have a headache?" Mary asked Ryu, who had been upside down for more than an hour, with only a few minutes of a break.

"I like lying upside, everything looks cool." Ryu replied. "Hehe, I think the drinks are working." Ryu giggled, pointing to Seph and Chloe. Sephiroth was on his third drink, and already seemed to be loosening up quite a bit, because he had moved to sit beside Chloe, and had his arm around her shoulders. They were talking, giggling, and ignoring everyone else in the room.

"Looks like your meddling has worked again." Mary replied.

"Hey, I only meddle when it is necessary." Ryu stated defensively. "I don't hear anyone complaining about it."Mary rolled her eyes, as she got up to get a glass of water. Though she was enjoying being tipsy, she knew that anymore alcohol would push her closer to the edge, where she did not want to go. When she returned, Angeal was not on the chair, so Mary plopped beside Reno again.

"Are you hitting on me or something, yo?" Reno teased, as Mary leaned against his shoulder.

"Nope. I'm perfectly happy with Angeal."

"Then what is it; you want me to join?" Reno said teasingly.

"We might want to wait a few years before suggesting that." Mary said with a yawn. Reno's eyes went wide, as Rude stood up and pulled Reno with him.

"I think it is time to leave, before you get yourself in trouble." He said, pulling Reno across the living room.

"I was only kidding, yo." Reno whined.

"But Mary wasn't." Ryu said playfully, as she pulled herself up and curled up on Morgan.

"Whoa Seph, PDA." Reno commented, as he walked by Sephiroth and Chloe, who were now in full make out mode on the couch. Rude opened the door and pushed Reno out before either the SOLDIER or the Turk could retaliate. "You ruin all my fun." Reno whined, as he was herded to the elevator.

"You've had enough fun for the night."

"So, you taking me home, partner?" Reno said with a teasingly seductive voice.

"Your home." Rude replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Ruining all my fun." Reno muttered, Rude let out a low chuckle.

* * *

"I think we should leave those two alone for the night." Angeal whispered in Mary's ear, pointing to Seph and Chloe.

"Sounds good to me. Come on guys, time for bed." Mary said as she stood up. Everyone else groaned and pulled themselves off their seats, making their way to their rooms. No one bothered to break apart Seph and Chloe, who had not heard anything that was happening for at least half an hour.

* * *

"Wow Seph, you look horrible, like you've been dead for a few years." Mary said in the kitchen as Seph slowly made his way to the coffee maker. Alanna and Ryu giggled from their chairs, clearly catching her reference.

"I think I have a hangover." Seph said, drinking his coffee black. "I don't think I will be accepting drinks from Reno for quite some time." He added.

"Oh come on, you can't tell us you didn't have fun last night." Ryu said.

"I actually don't remember much."

"Well that really is a shame." Alanna said, shaking her head.

"Did I do something?" He asked them cautiously.

"That is not really for us to tell you." Mary said, as she got up from her chair. "Well, we have a meeting with Tseng, later Seph." She said, as she left the apartment, the other girls in tow. Sephiroth sat down at the table, trying very hard to remember what had happened the night before.

* * *

"So how far do you think they got last night?" Ryu asked as they entered the elevator.

"I don't know. They were still making out in the living room when I went to bed." Mary replied.

"Wait, you didn't spend the night with Angeal? I could have sworn I saw you leave his room this morning." Alanna questioned her friend.

"Yeah, I had to go wake him up after my run. He was afraid he drank too much and wouldn't wake up."

"Oh I'm sure you had no problem waking him up." Ryu teased. Mary nodded her head.

"I can't believe he doesn't remember." Piper said, changing the subject.

"Well, if he was drunk enough to make out in the living room, I'm not surprised that hegot drunk enough to not remember." Ryu replied.

"Why are men so stupid?" Mary asked.

"It's in their nature. I think we need to do something about this." Alanna said, turning to Ryu.

"I'll have a talk with Chloe, maybe pull the tapes from last night for 'motivation'."

"So what is this meeting about?" Mary said, changing the subject.

"Probably Matti getting into trouble." Ryu teased.

"Good. This headache is awful." Alanna muttered.

"That and the nausea." Ryu added.

"Sorry. I feel fine." Matti chimed in, from the corner he was hiding in. He couldn't remember much from the previous night, but he was sure he had said and done things that he was not going to be proud of.

"That makes it worse." Ryu said spitefully.

"At least I was amusing."

"Oh, very much so. Between Shut Up, Fuck You, and That's my new catchphrase, we couldn't stop laughing." Mary replied. "Reminded me of that 'drinking out of cups' video."

"Yes, totally. And you were only there for the second half. You missed the first half where he kept using me for a pillow, and kept yelling at the television."Alanna said, since she was there the entire time.

"And I'm glad that I missed that." Mary said, as they exited the elevator and all the doppelgangers made their way to Tseng's office.

* * *

When the short meeting ended, Tseng pulled Matti aside, as the others returned to their usual duties.

"I hear you got drunk last night." He said coolly.

"Yeah, not one of my best moments." Matti replied, looking down at the floor.

"We will have to build up your tolerance. In this job, especially our position, there can be a lot of drinking occasions, and you need to remain alert and capable."

"Yeah, can we wait a few days on that? I don't think I can handle drinking for a few days." Matti said. Just the thought of alcohol was making his stomach flip.

"I can be accommodating." Tseng said, as he pointed Matti out of his office. Matti sighed and made his way to his desk to start his long day of paperwork.

* * *

"Chloe, just the Turk I was looking for." Ryu said, as she caught Chloe in the elevator.

"Hey Ryu. Did you want something?"  
"Just wanted to talk to you about last night." Ryu replied.

"I would rather not." Chloe said, putting up her Turk mask. She had already made a trip to Sephiroth's office, only to find that he didn't remember anything that had happened, which hurt her feelings quite a bit.

"You can't just pretend it didn't happen. Just because he doesn't remember doesn't mean the rest of us don't."

"I said I don't want to talk about it." Chloe replied coldly, trying to keep her temper in control.

"Chloe. Seph is a smart guy, but not when it comes to this. You can't just keep throwing hints at him, he will never get it. You need to make the move." Ryu explained to her. "I have the video from last night. You talk to him today, or I show him the tape. Your choice." Ryu said, as she left the elevator.

Chloe stood there, trying to figure out what had just happened. She had been blackmailed before; it wasn't anything new as a Turk. But she had not been expecting it from one of her friends. Chloe got off on the training floor and chose a room where she could practice with her throwing knives, as she had a lot of things to think about.

* * *

"So, did you do it yet?" Ryu asked Chloe, as she stood outside her office.

"No, and I'm not going to." Chloe replied defiantly. After thinking it over Chloe had decided that as a Turk she should not just roll over to simple threats like blackmail, and so she had gone and found some blackmail of her own. "You should know better than to threaten me Ryu. I'm sure you don't want your niisan to find out about this."She said, pointing to her computer screen.

"Well played." Ryu said, not at all surprised. "Fine, do it your way."She added, as she turned and made her way to her own office.

-**The plan didn't work, we'll have to do some further meddling.-** Ryu sent to Alanna and Mary.

* * *

Mary reached for her alarm and turned it off quickly, as to not wake up Angeal. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, preparing herself for the struggle she knew was about to happen.

For the first month or so of their relationship, they only shared a bed on the weekends, when they would have time to sleep in and enjoy each other's company. Over time there were more and more random week day nights that Mary ended up sleeping in Angeal's room instead of returning to her own, and it was now almost every night. Her room was merely storage for her things, as well as Alanna's room, since things were also going so well between her and Genesis.

The first morning Mary was able to sneak out of the bed to run without Angeal noticing, but all of the times after that he had put up a struggle, refusing to let her go. It had taken her ten whole minutes to crawl her way out of the bed the first time, much to her annoyance. She was getting better at it, and had even learned that bribery worked fairly well, even though she knew he was not fully conscious during the struggle.

Mary took another deep breath and gently pulled her covers off and sat up, before pushing off the bed as quietly as she could. Before she made it to standing, Angeal's arms were wrapped around her and pulled her back onto the bed and into his chest. Mary rolled her eyes as she struggled for a second, realizing that he was not going to let go.

"Geal, I have to go running. You need to let me go." She pleaded with him, he just grunted in response. "I'll come back, I promise." She heard him mumble something incoherently. "We can share the shower when I get back." She said to bribe him. He didn't fully let go, but she felt the pressure on her ribs lesson. She slowly pulled herself forward and off the bed. "Sleep well, I'll be back soon." She said, as she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

Angeal rolled over, clutching his pillow as he started mumbling something. Mary shook her head and made her way to her own room.

* * *

"Why hello my pervy friend." Mary said to Reno as she stood outside his office. "You ready to go?"

"Yup. So where exactly are we goin',yo?" Reno replied, jumping out of his chair, happy to not be doing paperwork.

"I'll tell you once we leave the building. Wouldn't want anyone to know what we are up to."

"Oh, so it's something dirty." Reno said, wiggling his eyebrows. Mary shook her head and pushed Reno into the elevator.

"Well yeah, why else would I ask for your help?" Mary replied once the doors closed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked defensively.

"I didn't mean anything by it. You are just the only person I trust with this stuff, oddly enough."Mary replied.

"Aw, you trust me, I'm touched, yo." Reno said mockingly, putting his hand over his heart. Mary punched him in the arm in response, glad that he could take a hit better than some of her other friends.

* * *

Mary smiled with nervous excitement as she walked back to the apartment with Reno and her purchases. "So you really think he will like it?" She asked Reno for the fifth time.

"Of course he will, how could he not, the outfit is hot, especially those boots." He said nodding to the large bag that held her new black leather above the knee boots that she had been looking at for a while. "Not sure how he will feel about the handcuffs though, yo." He added, causing Mary to blush even more than she already was.

"Maybe I'll just ease him into the idea." Mary thought out loud.

"Well, I gotta go back to work. Good luck." Reno called as he got off the elevator.

"Thanks Reno!" She called after him. She had wanted to get something to add a little excitement to her and Angeal's relationship, but was too afraid to go by herself. She was glad she had Reno as a friend to turn to, knowing that he was not at all shy about those types of things. And he knew the best stores for what they were looking for. Mary returned to her room and stashed her new purchases in her closet.

* * *

After dinner Mary made her way to Angeal's room, with her outfit and boots in a bag. Luckily, when she entered the room, he was in the bathroom. She had decided to start with the outfit, just to see his reaction, and laid it out on the bed.

"Hello." He said, as he came out and pulled Mary into a deep kiss. "So how was your day off?" He asked as he pulled away.

"It was alright, got to do some shopping." She said with a bright smile, nodding her head slightly to the bed. She smiled even more seeing the happy yet shocked look on Angeal's face when he saw the clothes on his bed.

"What are those for?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"I thought I would try something new, so I picked up something I thought you would like." She explained. "What do you think?"

"It is very nice, but I think it would look better on you." He replied excitedly.

"I'm glad you like you. Reno kept telling me you would, but I was still nervous." Mary admitted. Hearing her comment Angeal closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to control his heavy jealous streak. "Did I do something wrong?" Mary asked him cautiously.

"You showed this outfit to Reno?" He asked the anger clear in his voice.

"Well yeah, he has the best opinions for this kind of stuff." Mary said, not really understanding why Angeal was so mad. She thought that she had made it clear that she and Reno were nothing more than friends.

"I would prefer if you would not show yourself like this to other men." Angeal said curtly.

"It was just Reno." Mary replied defensively.

"That doesn't make it any better." Angeal said, getting even grouchier about the subject. "You spend far too much time with him. I don't trust him, and I don't want you so close to him all the time."

"I don't spend that much time with him, stop being so jealous." Mary said, starting to get angry herself.

"I can't help but be jealous. You spend so much time with others guys, hugging them and cuddling with them. It makes me angry." Angeal tried to explain.

"What other guys? Reno, Zack and Cloud?" Mary asked angrily. "Zack is like our puppy, Cloud is gay, and Reno is Reno. Didn't he already prove that he wasn't going to interfere?"

"I still don't trust him."

"Then trust me. I'm not going to do anything with anyone else. I thought I made that clear. Yeah, I hug and cuddle, but that is just what I do. I don't do anything with the boys that is any different from what I do with the girls."

"It's not that I don't trust you…" Angeal began.

"Well obviously it is, or you wouldn't be worried about it." Mary interrupted him. "Nothing is going to happen; I wouldn't do that to you."

"You've done it before."Angeal muttered.

"Excuse me?!" Mary yelled at him, now thoroughly pissed at the situation.

"The last time you were upset with me you went to Reno. How do I know you won't do it again?" Angeal almost yelled back.

"We weren't together then. And let me remind you that was YOUR fault." Mary said, as she started pacing the living room, not even remembering leaving the bedroom. "If you hadn't been so stupid and rejected me I never would have gone to Reno."

"But you did, and the only reason nothing happened was because of him. And there was the night you talked about the others that you find attractive…"

"Are you implying something?" Mary said, she was fuming. This was her first fight with Angeal, and it was not something that she liked at all. "And that night I was drunk and asleep! And just because I can recognize that they are attractive does not mean that I want anything to do with them!" She continued yelling.

"Of course not." Angeal said, realizing he may have dug himself a hole, and was hoping he could get out before it was too late. "I didn't mean…"

"I give myself to you and ONLY you." She said, taking a deep breath. "I think I need to sleep in my own room tonight." She said bitterly, as she made her way to the door. She felt extremely insulted by what had happened, and she knew she needed time to cool off before she made things worse.

"Mary…" Angeal said softly, as Mary slammed the door.

* * *

The next morning Mary felt better, and by the time her run was over she had mentally forgiven Angeal. She couldn't really blame him for being jealous; she knew that it was something that he had no control over. She also knew that fights happened, and it was actually an important step in their relationship. She was just hoping that she hadn't done anything too harsh and that he would be able to forgive her.

Mary didn't even make it to the door of the track when she ran into Angeal. She looked up at him with a really confused look on her face.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him, her voice shaking a little. Before he answered he pulled her into a hug.

"I needed to make sure we were alright." He said.

"This early in the morning?" She asked him curiously, knowing that he did not get up early unless he needed to leave for a mission.

"I couldn't sleep anymore." He admitted. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too." They both apologized.

"You know, I never got to see you in that outfit." Angeal said, a smile crossing his face.

"I think that will have to wait for later, we have to get ready for training." Mary pointed out.  
"Promise?"

"I promise." She replied, reaching up and pulling him down for a kiss. "We survived our first fight." She said quietly as she walked to the elevator with Angeal's arm around her waist. Angeal kissed the top of her head and gave her a gentle squeeze.

* * *

"Goodbye, have fun." Genesis called to Alanna as she left the apartment with Ryu to go shopping. She rolled her eyes and slammed the door. Genesis sighed, still not sure why she was so upset with him. They had a small fight the night before, and she was still angry with him.

"What did you do to piss her off?" Mary asked, as she sat on the other end of the couch working on her crochet projects. Angeal was on a mission with Zack, and Mary was taking full advantage of the free time to crochet, since Angeal usually distracted her from it, and she still had a lot of work to do.

"Just a small argument is all. She will be fine, eventually. I just wish she wouldn't stay mad for so long." Gen replied.

"Yeah, she can stay angry for quite a while, at least nowadays. You know, she wasn't really like that before."

"Are you saying it is my fault?" Gen asked, a little annoyed. He and Mary were on better terms, but they would still get at each other's throats from time to time.

"Not necessarily, but you are part of her personality change. But it's not always a bad thing. She is much happier and more confident in herself. But you have to take the good with the bad. The self confidence gets to arrogance, and that will cause her to hold a grudge longer." Mary explained, having seen a drastic change in her friend's personality, some for the good, and some not. She knew that they had all changed, but it was most drastic with Alanna.

"Any advice on how to deal with her anger?"

"Well, there is something, but if I tell you I need you to promise you won't tell Angeal." Mary bargained.

"Alright, as long as it is nothing bad. I don't like keeping secrets from my best friend."

"It's not bad, just something I don't want him using on me."

"Then why are you telling me? Won't Alanna be mad at you?"

"What else is new? She'll forgive me, eventually. And unlike you, I don't really care much if she is angry at me."

"Alright, if you are willing to deal with the consequences. So what is this secret?"

"Just walk around without your shirt on. She will be too distracted to be mad." Mary said simply.

"Why would that help me?" Gen asked, confused as to what Mary was telling him.

"You have a very nice body, and she can't help but admire it. Just trust me on this one."

"But she sees my body all the time."

"Doesn't matter. Gen, seriously, it will work. Hell, it would work on any of us. If you walked through here without a shirt, all of us girls would be distracted looking at you."

"While that is flattering, I doubt that."Gen commented.

"It is true. You have the ideal body type, and us females greatly appreciate it." Mary said.

"The ideal body type? I thought you were more into bulky muscle." Gen said, thinking of his friend whom she was dating.

"Yeah, I like Angeal's muscles, but I actually prefer lean muscle. I never would have gone for someone like Angeal back in my world; he is just not one of my types."

"And I am?" Gen questioned, suddenly intrigued by the conversation.

"You, Reno, and even Zack. But there is something about Angeal that makes him different. There is something more there than physical attraction, although I am really starting to appreciate the bulky muscles."

"I'm sure you are." Gen teased. Mary smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

"Well, back to my point, just walk around without a shirt. It will dispel her anger long enough for you to talk to her and try to work it out. It is not a fix; it is a tool to help you fix it. And if she is really pissed, try playing guitar and singing to her, without the shirt of course."

"That seems far too simple for a girl."

"We are not as complicated as we seem. As long as you know what we like, it is pretty simple to deal with us. Hot shirtless men will grab our attention, and singing makes us swoon. We also like shiny things and tasty food. But I wouldn't try buying a shiny to dispel anger."

"You make it sound so simple." Gen said. "How did you know I play guitar?"

"Angeal mentioned it after I played for him." Mary replied, smiling at the memory of that night. "He said you were really good, which doesn't surprise me at all."

"Alanna said you were pretty good yourself. Would you like to help me write a song?" He asked, suddenly changing the subject.

"Sure, I would be willing to try. Did you want to do that now or some other time?" Mary asked him.

"I have a meeting soon. Can we work on it when I return?"

"Sure, just send me a message. Where are we going to do this?"

"In my band room." Gen replied casually.

"You have a band room?"

"Yes, I had it specially designed, like Angeal did his greenhouse. It is a privilege you get as a 1st." Gen explained.

"I have to see this."

"After my meeting." Gen said, as he got up from the couch. "Thank you, Mary."

"No problem Gen. Remember, no telling 'Geal."

"I won't, I like having knowledge that he doesn't." Gen said, as he left the apartment. Mary smiled and returned to her crocheting, excited to finally get to hear Genesis sing.

* * *

"I hate you." Alanna said the next day as she sat down for lunch with Mary and Piper.

"What did I do?" Mary said, having already forgotten what she had told Genesis.

"I came home to a shirtless Gen." Alanna replied angrily.

"And you hate me why?"

"Because it's not fair, and you gave him the idea."

"Are you really that mad that your boyfriend now knows that being shirtless will make you happy?"

"No…" Alanna admitted.

"Plus, I'm sure it goes both ways." Mary teased.

"Not going to happen." Alanna said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, okay." Piper chimed in. Alanna stuck her tongue out at her friend as she got up to make herself a cup of tea.

* * *

There you go, drunk matti and Mary/Angeal's first fight! Let me know what you think!


End file.
